Ventura Unified School District: Healthy Schools Project

The Ventura Unified School District Healthy Schools Project (HSP) is the education arm of Food and Nutrition Service's Farm to School Program.  The HSP equips students in 13 high need schools to develop a healthy relationship with whole, local fruits and vegetables through hands-on and standards-aliged cooking, nutrition, farm and garden education.  In collaboration with Education Services, the HSP integrates edible education with Common Core and Next Generation Science, so that these programs can be easily integrated into school and after-school programs.  Food service and the HSP staff work collaborately to connect this education to the cafeteria and the farm to school salad bar.  A local, farm fresh salad bar is served daily during lunchtime.  Students participate in monthly fruit and vegetable tasting lessons in the classroom and then have the opportunity to enjoy these tasty, seasonal items during lunchtime.  Recipes that students prepare during cooking lessons are served on the salad bars weekly.  Produce that students grow in the garden are incorporated into edible education or donated to the cafeteria and served on the salad bar.  Ventura Unified is dedicated to creating healthy school environments.  The HSP actively supports this through each education component so that students are equiped and have the opportunity to grow up into healthy adults.