2024 Annual Report
Dear friends,
What tremendous work we accomplished together in 2024. Through dynamic programming, vibrant events, new educational resources, and successful advocacy, the Center for Ecoliteracy is providing children with opportunities to thrive using fresh and local food as the cornerstone of their learning.
Our partnerships continue to inspire us and build the lasting change we seek in school communities, learning environments, and the food system.
Read on for highlights from a bountiful year.
Alexa Norstad
Executive Director
TRANSFORMING School FOOD
REACHING 40% OF CALIFORNIA STUDENTS
“The Center for Ecoliteracy's California Food for California Kids Network demonstrates what’s possible when schools commit to purchasing more fresh and local foods from area small farmers for their cafeterias and classrooms.” —Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
GROWING CALIFORNIA FOOD FOR CALIFORNIA KIDS®
In 2024, we welcomed 22 new school districts to the California Food for California Kids Network, which now includes 146 districts in 37 counties, reaching 40% of students in the state with more fresh and local school meals.
Our ongoing School Food Innovator Series reached 275 participants, providing a valuable virtual convening space for school nutrition leaders to share strategies to advance school meal programs, such as student engagement, local procurement, and promoting new menu offerings. Learn more.
LEADING WITH FRESH, LOCAL FOOD FOR 10 YEARS
California Food for California Kids has been at the forefront of school food transformation for a decade. Our inclusive model empowers school nutrition professionals to lead change with support from their peers.
During Farm to School Month, we celebrated with 16 events across California that showcased the progress Network districts have made in increasing access to fresh and local food. Our media campaign resulted in coverage by 51 outlets with 187 million total impressions. Learn more.
TRANSFORMING SCHOOL FOOD POLITICS AROUND THE WORLD
This year, our approach to school food systems change was published in Transforming School Food Politics Around the World (MIT Press). We share our strategies that helped achieve School Meals for All in California and present a model for other advocates worldwide. We are honored to share our story and provide a model for changemakers to transform school food. Learn more.
ECOLOGICAL Education
NEW RESOURCES REACHED 80,000 STUDENTS
“Educational opportunities are often most vibrant when they intersect with students' lived experiences.” —Alexa Norstad, Executive Director
LINKING FOOD, HEALTH, CULTURE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Our culturally inclusive food education resources engage students in lessons about California’s diverse cultures, climate change, and the environment, all through food.
This year, our Eating Learning Growing resources reached 80,672 students with culturally inclusive farm to school education and our suite of California’s Climate-Smart Farms activities was launched to engage middle school students in questioning and observing climate-related phenomena through case studies of California farmers. Learn more.
RETHINKING FARM TO SCHOOL
We reached 73 state-funded educators across California with our Rethinking Farm to School toolkit and workshops that support farm to school programs in California’s low-income schools. In partnership with CalFresh Healthy Living, UC, this comprehensive offering features strategies for connecting with the school community, expanding local procurement, reducing food waste, and implementing School Meals for All. Corresponding multilingual marketing materials allow educators to customize resources for their students.
Policy and advocacy
NEARLY 8% INCREASE IN SCHOOL MEAL PARTICIPATION
“The Center for Ecoliteracy has been a steadfast partner in ensuring more and more California students have access to nutritious meals as well as education about the origins of their food and food systems.”
—Jennifer Siebel Newsom, First Partner of California
ADVOCATING FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL POLICIES
The Center for Ecoliteracy advocates for policies to advance food justice and provide children with equitable access to free, nutritious school meals.
In 2024, we helped to secure $1.9 billion in the 2024–2025 California State Budget for School Meals for All. In partnership with the School Meals for All coalition, we designed an advocacy platform focused on strategies to maximize federal funding during a budget deficit. We also led the coalition to protect $60 million for the Farm to School program and successfully advocated for AB 2316, the California School Food Safety Act. Learn more.
CELEBRATING CALIFORNIA’S LEADERSHIP
This year, we joined with partners at the Los Angeles Unified School District to celebrate California’s leadership in transforming school food. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom highlighted the transformations California is making in the school food system, and our Executive Director Alexa Norstad participated in a listening session, sharing why School Meals for All and Farm to School are core to the Center for Ecoliteracy’s California Food for California Kids initiative. Learn more.
ENGAGING POLICYMAKERS IN SCHOOL FOOD
Educating policymakers on school nutrition programs has been key to successful policy change. School site visits allow policymakers to experience school meal programs in action and to engage with the school nutrition professionals who are dedicated to nourishing kids each day.
In 2024, we facilitated nine site visits, including with Senator Caballero, Senator Niello, Senator Padilla, Assembly Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry, and Assemblymember Gabriel. We also advocated for the School Meals for All and Farm to School programs in over 70 legislative meetings. Learn more.
TRACKING THE SUCCESS OF SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL
Since we co-sponsored and successfully passed School Meals for All in 2021, our advocacy has focused on increasing fresh and local food, supporting the school food workforce, and ensuring the sustainability of universal meals in California. Prior to School Meals for All, nearly half of California’s food-insecure families did not qualify for federal school meal benefits. The program is essential to reducing child hunger in our state.
The success of the program is evident in the millions of additional meals being served. Our original data analysis shows that student participation has increased nearly 8% since the program began. Learn more.
CENTERING STUDENT VOICES
Our unique approach to policy change centers the voices of school nutrition professionals and students. In 2024, we formalized our partnership with the California Association of Student Councils, presenting at their student-led conference, gaining insights from students across the state, and engaging four students in legislative advocacy.
We also presented to a national audience on best practices for youth engagement in School Meals for All advocacy campaigns and published student testimonials on how free school meals prepare them for learning, reduce hunger, and create community. Learn more.
PARTNERSHIPS
Our dynamic partnerships continue to inspire and fulfill us. Thank you to our partners:
California Association of Food Banks
California Association of Student Councils
California Department of Education
California Department of Food and Agriculture
CalFresh Healthy Living, UC
Chef Ann Foundation
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Culinary Institute of America Healthy Kids Collaborative
From Now On Fund
Kay Sprinkel Grace
LunchAssist
National Farm to School Network
Newman’s Own Foundation
NextGen California
Nutrition Policy Institute
Office of Kat Taylor
STEM4Real
Ten Strands
TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation
Looking Ahead
In 2025, the Center for Ecoliteracy will celebrate its 30th anniversary. For 30 years, our work has transformed education in classrooms, cafeterias, and gardens, resulting in hundreds of school districts sourcing more local food, thousands of educators teaching lessons on food and its impact on our environment, and millions of students accessing nutritious school meals.
Amid a rapidly changing world, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advance food justice for California kids and partner with school communities to cultivate vibrant learning environments. Together, we can engage students in smart, vital, and hopeful solutions to educate and nourish the next generation.
2023 ANNUAL REPORT AND TAX FILING
View the Center for Ecoliteracy Form 990 for 2023.
View the Center for Ecoliteracy Form 990 for 2022, 2021, or 2020.