Organic School Program Opens
at Alcott Elementary School

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Students of Louisa May Alcott School were treated to a celebration luncheon to kick off the launch of Organic School Project’s more positive foods school breakfast and lunch program on Friday, April 20, and to celebrate Earth Day. Activities included class participation in the school garden, separation of waste for composting and recycling, a healthy foods rap performance and numerous artistic displays from the elementary school children. Alcott is the first of three Chicago Public Schools that participate in OSP to enter the fourth and final phase of the Organic School Program, integrating more positive foods, including organic, hormone, pesticide, and antibiotic-free foods in their cafeteria.

     In OSP, children and teachers garden in on-site neighborhood organic gardens and discover wholesome foods in an integrated learning classroom setting that is complimented by a comprehensive curriculum. The addition of the organic menu is the final phase in OSP program, which provides children with first-hand experiences that raise their awareness of nutrition.

     The full-service cafeteria program is made possible through a sub-contract with Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality. “This program is truly unique within the public school system,” says Josephine Lauer Washuk, director of logistics, Organic School Project. “Prior to our sub-contract with Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, no non-profit organization has ever received a contract from a worldwide service contractor to provide food within the public schools. In doing so, OSP is enabling children to garden, learn sustainable living practices and eat foods otherwise unknown to them.”

     Organic School Project is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that utilizes four components to form a comprehensive approach to student development of the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors that will enable them to adopt, maintain, and enjoy more positive eating habits. The four components are: an integrated nutritional curriculum and monthly intervention; mindfulness curriculum; an outdoor organic vegetable garden and a full-service cafeteria serving more positive foods.

     “What we teach in Organic School Project is a grow, teach, feed, model,” says Greg Christian, founder of OSP. “Children are taught the food cycle, from the source to the table. The children learn how to grow produce in gardens that are planted at their school. They harvest the produce and have the opportunity to taste it as well. Less processed foods are introduced into their school lunch menu, and gradually children become more open to trying fresh, mostly organic foods with fewer additives.”

     “We’re very excited to add this partnership to a wide array of programs we have in place at our schools to encourage healthy eating,” says Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer Arne Duncan. “We are absolutely committed to providing the best and healthiest meals we can to all of our students across the system, and we’ll continue to look for opportunities for additional creative partnerships like the one with Organic School Project.”

     For more information on Organic School Project, visit www.organicschoolproject.org.

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