Center for Ecoliteracy

The Center for Ecoliteracy builds partnerships and the capacity of k-12 schools to support healthy, sustainable school communities by advancing ecological literacy and food systems change. In 2022, we developed ecological education resources to support farm to school programs and education on food sovereignty, climate change, and environmental justice. Through partnerships with the California department of food and agriculture, the nutrition policy institute, the office of kat taylor, nextgen California, and the California association of food banks, we successfully advocated for a record $2 billion in state funding for healthy school meals for all. See schedule o - continuationecological educationthe Center for Ecoliteracy developed ecological education resources for k-12 students to support farm to school programs and education on food sovereignty, climate change, and environmental justice. Developed in consultation with indigenous advisors, the Center for Ecoliteracy published the gather viewing guide, a resource for students to explore native american food sovereignty through the award-winning documentary by filmmaker sanjay rawal. The Center for Ecoliteracy was selected as one of seven national curriculum partners by ten strands for the climate change and environmental justice program to begin drafting a sixth-grade unit for the curriculum. Our eating learning growing project to develop a culturally-responsive k-12 farm to school curriculum framework and culturally-inclusive large-scale graphic installation designs completed its first year of a 32-month project funded by the California department of food and agriculture specialty crop block grant program.school food systems changethe Center for Ecoliteracy's California food for California kids network grew to 106 public school districts in 2022. A network of this scale can catalyze lasting systems change for school meals in California. for the first time since 2020, we were able to engage with school nutrition leaders in the network and beyond through in-person site visits to augment our virtual technical assistance and events. To support our commitment to provide a more just, sustainable, and equitable experience for our children and the people who nourish them, we created and promoted two bilingual videos highlighting youth leadership in the farm to school movement and connections with local farmers. Our school food innovator series focused on increasing local procurement, advancing farm to school programs, and sharing lessons from the field to strengthen school meal programs. In Virginia, we provided technical support and advised on the pilot of Virginia food for Virginia kids, a program out of their state department of education's nutrition services department that follows our successful model in california.policy and advocacyas California prepared to implement its groundbreaking 2021 school meals for all legislation, the Center for Ecoliteracy collaborated with core members of the school meals for all coalition to successfully advocate for a record $2 billion in state funding for school meals, including the highest state reimbursement rate in the country. The Center for Ecoliteracy raised the voices of school nutrition directors as they embraced the historic funding package and the impact of systems-wide investments in school meals for all, increased reimbursements, kitchen infrastructure, staff training, farm to school, evaluation, and workforce development. The Center created a guide for school district administrators, established a school meals for all task force, and conducted ongoing activities to inform policy advocacy and resource development.the Center for Ecoliteracy serves as an anchor tenant at the david brower Center, a home for environmental and social action and one of the bay area's most advanced green buildings. Being located at the david brower Center enables us to expand our services while providing opportunities for collaboration with dozens of other leading not-for-profit organizations.