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Call for experiences from school foodservice staff

Experiences can be submitted by 31 December 2022

Healthy diets are crucial for child and adolescent development, health and overall wellbeing. Most children spend a considerable time in school, and thus have one or more meals in this setting.

Many countries around the world have guidelines and standards in place to ensure that school meals are nutritious and in line with children’s needs.

While nutrition guidance is important to make school meals as nourishing and healthy as possible, it is also important to make sure that the food is liked by children – a tough mission sometimes!

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the School Meals Coalition are inviting school foodservice staff to share their experiences of using nutrition guidance provided as part of the school meal programme to make healthy meals for schoolchildren and adolescents.

We are asking cooks, caterers, chefs, kitchen volunteers and anyone who works in school foodservice to share with us their creative ways and ideas in making nutritious food appealing for children in your school!  Tell us how you integrate the nutrition guidelines into the delicious meals you prepare for children in your school! What are your tips and tricks to make school meals particularly appealing for children?

What’s in it for me?

The most original ideas will be included in a short joint publication, featured on FAO, WFP and the School Meals Coalition’s respective websites, dedicated to the creative and innovative approaches of fellow school cooks and kitchen staff around the world. FAO, WFP and the School Meals Coalition will also promote the content on their social media channels, reaching and inspiring millions of people all over the world.

The publication will be promoted at global occasions such as the World Food Day. For this occasion, your videos will be edited and screened during the Junior World Food Day event. Written and visual content may also be used to produce digital communication products such as interactive stories. Overall, your experiences will inform and guide a global process to improve the quality of school food.  

How can I share my experience?

Send an email to school-food@fao.org, including:

  • The completed template
  • A high resolution portrait photo of you looking at the camera
  • 1-2 photos of a dish you like to prepare
  • A short video (vertical format and maximum 1 minute) telling us why healthy school food is important to you, what guidelines are provided to you and how you use them, what actions you take to ensure your students eat nutritious meals at school and your most popular dish
  • The completed subject release form (below)

Your experience must be submitted by 31 December 2022; For additional information, feel free to reach out to us sending an email to school-food@fao.org.

Video specifications

General

  • Video length: 30-60 seconds.
  • Languages: videos in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic are welcome.
  • Do not add music, logos and/or potentially-copyrighted items, or we won’t be able to use the video.
  • Only you should appear in the video; if you wish to include anyone else, they will have to complete a subject release form (or their parents/guardians must complete it for them if they are underage).

Video

  • Keep your phone vertical and at eye level, looking directly into the camera.
  • Don’t zoom in to adjust the framing, simply place the camera in the best position instead.
  • Ensure there is adequate lighting and avoid backlights (bright windows, lamps, etc. behind you).
  • Keep the phone/camera still, placing it somewhere stable.

Audio

  • Ensure the verbal message is clear and covers the following: why healthy school food is important to you, what guidelines are provided to you and how you use them, your actions to make sure your students eat nutritious meals at school and your most popular dish.
  • Watch out for background noises: the space does not have to be absolutely silent, but avoid loud, constant or echoing sounds.