Although the brand new Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School (Quincy, IL) was named after a famous debate between two Presidential candidates, there's no debate that students and staff are dedicated to nutrition and wellness.
Leah Erke (Extension Outreach Associate) has been working with the school since it opened last August to implement Smarter Lunchroom techniques and promote their school meal program. Here are just a few of the changes that have been made since their Smarter Lunchroom assessment in September...
*Blank walls? No problem. Leah incorporated the school colors into fruit and vegetable posters that are now hanging up. The colors are also integrated into arrows that students follow through the serving line.
*Students have been excited to have the opportunity to give fruits and vegetables creative names for the upcoming month's menu. They've also been creating artwork, which is being displayed near the cafeteria.
*White milk was moved to the most accessible spot in the serving area and now represents 1/3 of the milk options available. This easy, no-cost change has increased white milk selection by 16% over two months!
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To cap off an exciting start to the school year, Lincoln-Douglas was selected for a visit from the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois. Dean Kimberlee Kidwell, Dr. George Czapar (Director of Extension and Outreach), and other Extension staff received a tour and met with school nutrition professionals to learn more about the impact of implementing Smarter Lunchroom strategies.
Pictured below (left to right): Leah Erke, Extension Outreach Associate; Richard Vogen, Director of College Planning and Special Projects; Akinwale Akingbule, SNAP-Ed Educator; Earl Bricker, County Extension Director for Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike, and Schuyler Counties; Kimberlee Kidwell, Dean of the College of ACES at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; George Czapar, Director of Extension and Outreach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Lynn Dickerson, Lincoln-Douglas Food Service Manager
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