When we mentioned our interest in exploring the stories students might tell about lunch at their school, Emily Schober and Joal Clohisy jumped at the chance to try something out before the end of the school year. Prince of Peace was already planning a switch from pre-packaged food that kitchen staff would simply re-heat, to healthier food that would be prepared on site. They were able to pull a group of about 20 students together, and over the course of a few weeks we worked with them to:
- Identify issues around school lunch that were important to them
- Develop ideas to address concerns they have
- Tell the stories of those ideas in slide presentation
The ideas that came out of that that effort ran from creating healthy versions of favorite family recipes, to calls for an improved culture within the lunchroom– showing courtesy to lunch staff, helping to keep the room clean, and allowing students to sit with friends rather than strictly by classroom. Today they had a chance to take teachers and staff through their presentations.
