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School Food
The Urban School Food Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created by school food service professionals in 2012 to address the unique needs of the nation’s largest school districts. Our members collaborate to share best practices, develop procurement standards, and advocate for the health and wellness of students.
By the Numbers
Each step we take makes us hungrier for progress, resulting in more smiling students in our schools.
Districts
Participating
Schools
Served
Million
Students
Million
Meals Served
Million
Spent on Procurement
2023 Annual Report
Plastic Free Lunch Day coming soon in 2024!
- From March 1 – April 30, 2024, students, educators and schools can view our student-led award winning movie Microplastic Madness free. We also provide a folder of suggested student-led activities that cover (1)messaging, (2) cafeteria plastic audits, (3) cafeteria plastic packaging interventions, and (4) cafeteria plastic dishware interventions. They were designed to be accessible, do-able and fun.
- And on April 11, 2024 (Zoom), we present, with partner Center for Environmental Health, a School Food Directors webinar on plastic reductions, with guest speakers Dr. Katie Wilson of the Urban School Food Alliance and Johannes van der Pool, a food director from Fremont, California. All are welcome.
Investment in Board Development
Serves Organization Well
School districts that tailor school food service procurement policies and procedures using best practices from commercial food service achieve benefits in food quality, supply chain and food cost. Districts receiving federal funds through the operation of the NSLP, SBP, CACFP, SFSP must follow USDA procurement regulations, not Education Department of General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). This self-assessment tool measures procurement strategies beyond compliance with federal regulations that can result in better food, controlled costs, and improved chain.
A look into our Fall meeting
Members of USFA were excited to be together in person to learn from one another, hear updates from USDA, learn more about current research, discuss critical topics and see school meal operations firsthand at Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Watch this video to learn more about USFA.
2023 USFA Fall Meeting Vendor Interviews
USFA also invited vendors to discuss innovative and clean label products.
USFA Local Procurement Miniseries
School meals provide important nutrition to 30 million students a day. The time is now for schools to be bold and creative when considering their purchasing power and their responsibilities in serving their community. The procurement processes used by schools can have a tremendous impact on the viability of local farmers, processors, and their ability to supply healthy local food to schools.
Our
Responsibility
With the majority of our students qualifying for free or reduced-priced meals due to financial hardships, school meals provide the most consistent source of daily nutrition for these children. As the Alliance, we understand our great responsibility to provide access to healthy meals for our students. When students eat well, they also do well in school.
Our
Approach
To provide fresh, healthy and delicious meals to students, member districts work together on policy, share best practices and leverage our purchasing power to continue to drive food quality up and costs down while incorporating sound environmental practices.
Prioritizing
School Meals
“School meals play a critical role in a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom and in the future. The Urban School Food Alliance uses the collective strength of its member districts to ensure that the quality and accessibility of those meals is never diminished.”
Dr. Katie Wilson, Executive Director
Working Together:
Our Districts
Urban School Food Alliance began in 2012 with 6 founding districts: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and Orlando. Since then USFA has grown our membership to include 18 districts across the United States, working together to provide fresh, healthy and delicious meals to students.
Partners & Supporters
The Alliance is made possible in part by the hard work and generosity of our partners and supporters, who are dedicated to furthering our mission and shaping the future of school meals nationwide.
Join the Conversation
Latest News
The latest news and headlines from Urban School Food Alliance
Plastic Free Lunch Day expands, honors Cafeteria Culture founder Debby Lee Cohen
Apr 17, 2024
In their continuing effort to free school cafeterias from single-use plastics, Cafeteria Culture and the Urban...
Plastic Free Lunch Day returns with a week of action April 17 – 24
Mar 20, 2024
In 2022, the Urban School Food Alliance joined Cafeteria Culture in hosting the first ever Plastic Free Lunch...
Urban School Food Alliance joins panel at BeanCon24
Mar 1, 2024
Dr. Katie Wilson virtually attended BeanCon24, a global dry bean conference, to represent the Urban School Food...