Ahoy matey! National School Lunch Week is taking on a spirit of adventure this year, supporting vital school nutrition programs and promoting healthy school meals in a week-long, pirate-themed celebration.
Officially themed as “School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure,” the 2024 National School Lunch Week reminds educators, students and families about the importance of a nutritious school lunch and how it positively impacts a child’s learning and overall development. Resources for social media, guides on planning district events, fun menu ideas and more are available for download, and Iowa schools are encouraged to participate.
“It’s not too late for your school to join in the National School Lunch Week celebration,” said Meg Collins, education program consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. “You can find resources like toolkits, activity sheets and even a Spotify playlist that can engage kids, both in classrooms as well as cafeterias.”
National School Lunch Week was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and has been held annually to highlight the impact of meals provided through the National School Lunch Program. Through the National School Lunch Program, students have access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low fat milk with every school lunch. Over 30 million children across the country are served school lunch each school day. Nearly 58,000,000 school lunches were served to Iowa students through the National School Lunch Program last school year.
This year’s National School Lunch Week runs Oct. 14-18. Schools are invited to share their National School Lunch Week events on social media with hashtag #NSLW24. Additional information and resources can be found on the School Nutrition Association website.