Investments in FoodPrints yield positive outcomes for students, schools, and DC policy priorities

Anecdotally, we hear so much positive feedback from our stakeholders: from “FoodPrints is my favorite day at school” to “the team knows what they’re doing and they do it with excellence” to “FoodPrints will help my students heal after so much COVID-induced isolation and loss.”

In addition to positive feedback, we are able to show that investments in FoodPrints yield positive outcomes  for students, schools, and DC policy priorities. Our new ROI for FoodPrints’ Comprehensive Food Education demonstrates:

• Four main areas of impact: Health, Academic Enrichment, Whole-Child Education, and Environmental Responsibility.
• Alignment with key local and national policy goals: Sustainable DC 2.0, DC Department of Health DC Healthy People 2020, and DC Public Schools Five-Year Strategic Plan, as well as the federal Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act.

The ROI ties together connections between national research, FoodPrints research, and FoodPrints evidence. For example, in the area of Health:

• National research shows that consumption of fruits and vegetables contribute to healthier students and families.
• Research conducted by the FoodPrints program in partnership with George Mason University and the Tisch Food Center, Teachers College, Columbia University found that students at FoodPrints schools ate a larger share of the portion size of scratch-cooked meals served in the school lunch program — and were significantly more likely to know and prefer produce featured in the program (e.g., beets, kale, and sweet potatoes) — compared to students at schools without FoodPrints.

This evidence helps us to see how investments in comprehensive food education can contribute to positive health outcomes for students.

The FoodPrints research cited here was conducted in partnership with George Mason University and the Tisch Food Center, Teachers College, Columbia University and results were compiled by our long-term evaluator, Dr. Katie Kerstetter of George Mason University. The research synthesis and publication design was funded by FRESHFARM’s USDA Farm to School grant.