Chicago Public Schools, District 299 Farm to School Program

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Nutrition Support Services and the Office of Student Health and Wellness supports a Farm to School approach for nutrition education and school gardens. A Farm to School approach can awaken students' natural curiosity and provide experiential learning opportunities across the curriculum while emphasizing nutrition lessons and educating students on the food system. By strengthening the connection between the classroom, dining center and garden, students will be able to build lasting relationships with healthy foods, watch them grow, and experience them in the dining center which appeals to a variety of learning styles and reinforces lessons across various channels.

CPS is the third largest school district in the nation serving 75 million meals annually to approximately 390,000 students of which 86% are economically disadvantaged. CPS serves all meals at no cost to students through USDA Community Eligibility Provision.