First Round Complete: Fueling Change in Wisconsin’s School Food System

Disinvestment in School Meals

Every child in Wisconsin deserves nourishing food at school. However, decades of disinvestment—stemming from racism and discrimination—have left our children with few healthy and culturally diverse options while they’re trying to learn.

Read more about what youth in Wisconsin have to say about school meals in our report, Wisconsin Youth Conversations.

To help eliminate these disparities, earlier this year we announced a grant opportunity of up to $250,000 to build pathways for local and nutritious food to reach more schools across Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana — especially in areas that don’t have equitable access to resources.

“This effort will help address health disparities among people of color who experience higher rates of poverty and food insecurity than majority populations which translates to higher risk of disease outcome. Nutritional health is so important because how we eat affects how we think and feel; this determines the trajectory of our life and how long we live to enjoy it,” shared Bridgett Wilder of Perseverance Health in Milwaukee.

First Round Complete

We’re so excited to announce that in the first round of grants (due April 30), we received 67 applicants! And, Wisconsin had the most of any state:

Illinois: 16

Indiana: 13

Michigan: 17

Wisconsin: 19

Out of State: 2

Thank you to everyone that took the time to consider and apply. Our goal is to support communities in providing nourishing food for our kids, and with so many great applications, making a decision will be incredibly hard.

The awards will be announced by June 30. Partnerships and coalitions across Wisconsin submitted some awesome innovative projects. Fingers crossed!

K-12 Education in the Fox Valley

by Amanda Martinez | May 9, 2023

Every student in the Fox Valley region deserves to receive the educational support and resources needed to help them achieve a bright future. Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant impacts on students in Wisconsin. These challenges were particularly acute for students who were more likely to be struggling prior to the pandemic, like students with lower incomes, students of color, and students who speak English as a second language. With federal pandemic relief funds drying up, state leaders must ensure schools have adequate resources and that students don’t fall even more behind.

Early Care & Education in the Fox Valley

by Amanda Martinez | May 9, 2023

Every child deserves a solid foundation in life, regardless of income. Affordable and accessible early care and education ensures that parents can get to work and sets children up for a strong start. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how child care is critical for children and families and why early care and education providers are an essential part of our local communities and a thriving economy.

This May Day, Wisconsin Can Lift up Its Immigrant Families by Restoring Driver Licenses for All

by Emily Miota | May 1, 2023

On May Day: A Day without Latinx and Immigrants, Wisconsin lawmakers can lift up every family by restoring driver licenses for all. This would help keep families together, increase economic opportunities for working families, ensure safer roads, and boost state revenue.

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First Round Complete: Fueling Change in Wisconsin’s School Food System

Disinvestment in School Meals