Photo Gallery
Video created by Marielle Williamson
2023 Youth Steering Committee
Key Accomplishments of the Youth Steering Committee
2023
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Initiated a national comment campaign to collect public comments from students, organizations, schools, caregivers, and food service workers in favor of new child nutrition meal patterns that facilitate more plant-based options and plant-forward school menus. Comments were presented to members of Congress and USDA.
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Coordinated the first-ever youth-led plant-based school food D.C. Fly-In. Check out their blog on this experience.
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Students organized 34 Capitol Hill meetings with Congressional staffers where students asked their representatives to:
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Support the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act.
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Support the Equitable, Values Aligned Procurement Act.
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Support the Farm Systems Reform Act.
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Oppose the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.
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Oppose the EATS Act.
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Students met with high-level federal agencies to urge support for more plant-based meals and milks in K-12 schools. These agencies included:
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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The Executive Office of the President (EOP).
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The Republican and Democrat Education and Workforce Committees.
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Members met with Congressman Jamaal Bowman to thank him for introducing the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act.
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Sent a letter to USDA urging the agency to do all within their power to help school districts meet the growing demand for plant-based school foods.
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Completed a wide range of personal projects, including:
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Local campaigns to add plant-based options to school menus.
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Research reports on plant-based meals and the impacts of animal agriculture.
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Blog posts.
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Children's books.
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Social media projects.
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2022
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Organized a listening session with USDA officials to share their testimonies and speak about the positive impacts of including plant-based foods in schools.
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Developed a petition to collect youth, teacher, and parent testimonies in favor of provisions they helped secure in a House child nutrition bill that would expand plant-based school meals and non-dairy milk options.
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Attended the White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition and initiated a letter to the White House about the importance of centering youth voices.
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Met with 30+ Capitol Hill offices in support of policies to expand access to plant-based school food.
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Published blogs and op-eds about their experiences advocating for plant-based school food.
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Campaigned for new plant-based options in their own school districts.
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Created a Healthy Future Students and Earth Act video challenge.
In The Media
Global Vegan Magazine Issue 7 (Fall 2023)
The Power of Youth: How Student Activists are Advocating for Change
Encinitas teen advocates for plant-based school lunches in Washington, D.C.