Chef Ann Foundation

The Chef Ann Foundation’s vision is to ensure that all children have access to healthy food at school to grow their bodies, minds, and futures. Our story began when Chef Ann Cooper decided to create an organization that helps schools ensure that every child has daily access to fresh, healthy food. Founded in 2009, the Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) carries out our vision by actively supporting school districts nationwide through grant programs and by providing tried and tested tools for school food change. Our major programs include:

• Healthy School Food Pathway : A work-based learning experience that aims to prepare individuals for job opportunities in healthy, scratch-cook school food programs. Supporting workforce readiness and professional growth for new, incumbent, and displaced school food operators, the pipeline from entry-level positions through management and culminating in school food leadership offers professionals the resources, hands-on training, and network to become confident leaders that have in-depth knowledge and experience in creating and running successful scratch-cook meal programs.
• Get Schools Cooking: A program that provides hands-on support through an assessment of district-wide school food operations, strategic planning, funding opportunities and technical assistance, enabling school districts to increase their amount of scratch cooking.
• Salad Bars to Schools (SB2S): A grant program that helps schools expand their commitment to serving fresh fruits and vegetables by implementing salad bars as part of their daily meal program.
• School Food Institute: Online courses that give school food service professionals and childhood nutrition advocates the in-depth training, operational skills and strategic vision necessary to make school food fresh, healthy, and sustainable.
• Bulk Milk: Provides schools and districts with bulk milk dispensing equipment and support, program and marketing materials, and technical assistance.
• The Lunch Box: An online resource that provides free step-by-step guides, tools and recipes to help schools improve their food programs and transition to scratch-cooking.