News Stories

October is Farm to School Month, and at BCCS, we are proud to have nutritious, fresh foods in our schools. From local, cultural cuisines at lunch to produce from school gardens, students at BC are active participants in the process from growing food to consuming it. 

One way students participate in the process is through monthly taste tests. The Nutrition Services team plans the food around a theme or nutrition education topic during that month. For Hispanic Heritage Month this month, taste tests included pupusas and homemade curtido. Students learn about the recipes, the culture they come from, and what makes them nutritious before those foods are placed on the lunch menu. 

Brooklyn Center Community Schools strives to represent the diversity of its staff, students, and families through its food offerings. This year, the district received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award from Action for Healthy Kids and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals. Through the Healthy Meals Incentives Grant, the district is uniquely positioned to provide more resources for its Food Services staff through scratch cooking trainings, scaling up equipment, and expanding nutrition education.

 "It's so important to normalize global cuisines, for students to get that exposure to different flavors and types of food, and to just broaden their palates and perspective of what's available,” said Michelle Auld, Wellbeing Specialist. 

The monthly taste tests are not just a way to broaden palates, but also a way for students to see their own cultures represented at their school. Healthy Meals Specialist Megan Grubb said that students have expressed enthusiasm about the foods offered because they are meals that students eat at home. “Offering this variety of cuisines that reflect our students' cultural backgrounds shows that we see them, we appreciate them, and we want to learn more about them. It also normalizes these cuisines from all around the world and exposes them to new flavors and ideas about nutrition,” Grubb said.

At Brooklyn Center Middle and High School STEAM (BCS), Art Visual Teacher Chloe Cotherman has led the development of the school garden and its programs and activities in recent years. In partnership with Hana Blissett from the Three Rivers Park District, Cotherman tends the garden with students throughout the year, makes produce available for FACS classes and at district events like the Centaur Block Party, and offers educational opportunities for students. Each summer, students are able to apply for Guardians of the Garden, a paid internship opportunity where students learn about gardening and nutrition, work in the school garden, and earn a wage. This fall, the Guardians of the Garden will also assist Megan Grubb with taste tests and cultural nutrition education.

Keep up with the BCS school garden on Instagram at @centaurgardeners. 

BCCS is proud to offer healthy foods that cater to students’ needs and backgrounds, and continues to look for opportunities to enhance and expand its offerings.