How to Promote Your School Meal Program in Your Community: A Lesson from Lexington School District One
The Office of Food Service and Nutrition at Lexington School District One in Lexington, SC is always thinking of creative ways to promote their program. Through contests, literature, and special events like Birthday Rice Krispies Treat® Days, they increase participation in the lunchrooms in a variety of ways, and not just within their district.
Lexington School District One’s veggie prep demonstration at the 2015 Kid’s Day of Lexington.
Their promotions reach further than the school website or PTA newsletter, but extends to their entire county. Each year, they host a vendor’s table at Kid’s Day of Lexington. The festival is free to attend and attracts thousands of families in their area. (In 2014, there were over 20,000 in attendance!) Their table includes free goodie bags with Smart Snacks and print collateral for their program’s initiatives, such as the summer feeding and Farm to Table programs.
The district is using this marketing flyer to promote Kid’s Day of Lexington on social media and via PeachJar.
They also have live vegetable preparation demonstrations at their booth, which have been extremely successful. So successful, they are even dance-worthy. According to the department’s director, Pat Carter, “Many times, we are introducing children to vegetables they have never had. We had the sweetest child stop by our booth one year – he tried a vegetable for the first time and loved it so much he started dancing!” The booth also gives parents the opportunity to see the healthy and tasty foods the department serves in their lunchrooms.
Congratulations to the child nutrition team at Lexington School District One for not only promoting your program in a creative way, but encouraging healthy lifestyle choices to the children of Lexington, SC! You are a shining star in the Meals Plus Family.
