Universal School Meals

About 79,000 students go in and out of classrooms each school day in Vermont’s public schools.  Some may be learning to add and multiply, some to speak a new language, and some to fix a small engine, but all of them will get hungry, and need to refuel their bodies to help their minds grow.  

Feeding all of these growing students is no small task and it connects parents and care-givers, all levels of government, farmers near and all-too-often far, and a web of federal programs. In Vermont, it’s estimated that nearly a quarter of children are facing hunger.    

On this episode of Root Words we’ll hear how the pandemic has changed school meals and how some hope some of the changes stick while we explore universal school meals.  We’ll hear from Teddy Waszazak, universal school meals campaign manager of Hunger Free Vermont later in the episode, but first let’s reconnect with Harley Sterling, school nutrition director of Windham Northeast Supervisory Union.  

Hunger Free Vermont is working to level the playing field in public education, making sure student needs are met. 

Teddy Waszazak remembers what it was like to be a kid facing food insecurity growing up, and that empathy feeds his work as universal school meals campaign manager for Hunger Free Vermont.  

Teddy and the folks at Hunger Free Vermont are working to ensure that students continue to receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch everyday.  Bill S.100 is in the house education committee, and has been paired back to only include universal breakfast at this time.  Hunger Free Vermont has begun briefing legislators, and continues to fight for universal lunch.  

This episode was produced by Stephen Abatiell

Special thanks to Teddy Waszazak, Harley Sterling, and Hunger Free Vermont. 

To learn more about Hunger Free Vermont’s Universal Meals campaign visit www.universalschoolmealsvt.org.  

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