About the Youth Steering Committee

Photo Gallery

2023

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.

Coordinated the first-ever youth-led plant-based school food D.C. Fly-In, where they organized 34 Capitol Hill meetings with Congressional staffers where students asked their representatives to support the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act, oppose the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, oppose the EATS Act, support the Equitable, Values Aligned Procurement Act, and support the Farm Systems Reform Act. Students also met with USDA officials and the White House to urge their support for more plant-based school meal options, and met with Congressman Jaamal Bowman to thank him for introducing the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act. Check out their blog on this experience.

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.

Completed a wide range of personal projects, from local campaigns to add plant-based options to school menus, to research reports, to social media projects.

2022

Organized a listening session with USDA officials to share their testimonies and speak about the positive impacts of including plant-based foods in schools.

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.

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.