Reasons to be Cheerful · People & society

NYC Students Advocate for Better School Lunches

A student initiative in New York City trained young people to research and advocate for improvements in school food, aiming to address issues beyond just the cost of meals.

Leslie Gomez Rivera, a high school student in Brooklyn, often avoided the school cafeteria due to dislike of the food, a hectic environment, and a stigma associated with school meals. This sometimes led her to skip lunch altogether.

Rivera joined Youth Food Advocates (YFA), an initiative that empowers NYC students to investigate school food issues and campaign for changes. She developed a survey to understand student preferences, reasons for avoiding the cafeteria, and potential improvements.

The survey, circulated at Midwood High, received about 100 responses from a student body of approximately 4,000. Findings indicated that while items like popcorn chicken, sauces, fruit, and salads were popular, students also expressed concerns about food quality and limited choices, desiring more familiar options.

This initiative took place after NYC had already implemented free lunch for all public school students, a change that also involved advocacy from YFA student organizers. However, the availability of free meals did not automatically ensure students were satisfied with the food or the cafeteria experience.

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