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Healthy School Food Pathway

Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) and California’s Community Colleges have partnered in the development of a pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and fellowship program that will support education and workforce development for healthy school food in California. The programs will provide California’s Community College students, incumbent school food service staff, and displaced or transitional workers in related industries with education and hands-on experience in operating healthy K-12 school meal programs.

Click here to sign up for news & alerts about the HSFP program, including upcoming applications.

The application for the Fall 2023 Pre-Apprenticeship is now open and will close on August 25, 2023.

Healthy School Food Pathway

Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) and California’s Community Colleges have partnered in the development of a pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and fellowship program that will support education and workforce development for healthy school food in California. The programs will provide California’s Community College students, incumbent school food service staff, and displaced or transitional workers in related industries with education and hands-on experience in operating healthy K-12 school meal programs.

Click here to sign up for news & alerts about the HSFP program, including upcoming applications.

The application for the Fall 2023 Pre-Apprenticeship is now open and will close on August 25, 2023.

Pre Apprenticeship:

The Healthy School Food Pathway program is excited to welcome its fourth cohort of pre-apprentices in Fall 2023. Pre-Apprentices will be paid $16/hr for the on-the-job-learning (Subject to change based on county minimum wage).

The program lasts 7 weeks and includes:

  • 4 School Food Institute courses: 20 hours (4 hours pre-read, 4 hours homework, 12 hours online learning)

  • 2 virtual learning sessions: 3 hours (2 sessions, 1.5 hours each)

  • On-the-job learning: 84 hours (~12 hours a week)


Apprenticeship

The Healthy School Food Pathway program is excited to welcome its second cohort of apprentices in Spring 2023. Please note that you must complete the pre-apprenticeship to join the apprenticeship. If you fit the requirements, please reach out to the Chef Ann Foundation. Pre-Apprentices will be paid $16/hr for the on-the-job-learning (Subject to change based on county minimum wage).

The program will be over one school year (~9 months) and include:

  • 7 School Food Institute courses: 35 hours (7 hours pre-read, 7 hours homework, 21 hours online learning)

  • Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) Courses: 64 hours

  • 18 virtual learning sessions: 45 hours (1 hour pre-read, 1 hour session, 0.5 hours homework)

  • On-the-job learning: 24 hours a week

Fellowship

The HSFP Fellowship Program will develop the next generation of diverse leaders in scratch-cook school food operations that can support a sustainable program and drive school food reform. Over a 12-month period, operators will grow their skills, knowledge and abilities through live, virtual learning sessions; in-person site visits and training; asynchronous, self-led instruction; and engagement within their own districts to implement their new ideas. Fellows will graduate from the program empowered to operate successful self-run, scratch-cook meal programs and advocate for serving fresh and healthy meals to students. If you have an interest in advancing your career in school food service leadership, the Healthy School Food Pathway Fellowship is the program for you. (Available to operators working under the National School Lunch Program anywhere in the U.S.)

Fellowship is open to school food professionals across the country thanks to our founding partners Whole Kids Foundation and the state of CA.

To learn more about Fellowship, click here.

Impact

When school food professionals are trained to work in and lead scratch-cook programs, they catalyze multiple benefits across the school food system. For example, scratch cooking facilitates local procurement, creative and responsive menu development, and food waste reduction, all of which can lead to climate and environmental benefits. Culturally relevant, delicious menus and excellent customer service contribute to increased school meal participation among students, which can reduce hunger and improve nutrition, ultimately leading to better health and learning.

The Healthy School Food Pathway program will prepare the future of school food to be led by diverse, prepared, and confident leaders with in-depth knowledge and experience in developing and administering successful scratch-cook meal programs.

Interested in learning more about the pre-apprenticeship program? Download the full job description below.

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