Add as a preferred source on Google

Chef Ann Foundation Awards Grants to Purchase Bulk Milk to 15 K–12 Districts

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/10/24

The Chef Ann Foundation recently announced that it has awarded 29 grants to 15 school districts around the U.S. to go toward purchasing milk in bulk instead of single-serve containers. The Bulk Milk program is in its second year and provides recipients with the equipment, training, and materials required for schools to make the shift, according to a news release.

The USDA requires U.S. schools to provide milk with every breakfast or lunch served via the National School Breakfast and School Lunch programs, the news release reports. Single-serving milk containers have become one of the most significant contributors to food and packaging waste in schools, the news release reports. Bulk milk dispensers allow students to pour their own desired amount, cutting down on both the 45 million gallons of liquid milk discarded annually in schools, as well as their containers.

“We had more than 360,000 fewer cartons go into the landfill last year,” said Beth Brewster, Supervisor of Food Services at Caroline County School in Maryland. “There has been less [liquid milk] waste as well, since the students only take the amount they want and actually drink it.”

According to the news release, the grants were awarded to Petersburg School District, Alaska; Willows Unified School District, Calif.; Ocean View School District, Calif.; San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Calif.; Shady Creek Outdoor School, Calif.; Santa Clara Unified School District, Calif.; Weld County School District, Colo.; Colorado Charter School Institute, Colo.; Cannon Falls Independent School District, Minn.;  Minneapolis Public School District, Minn.; Explore Academy Charter School, N.M.; Ithaca School District, N.Y.; Groton Central School District, N.Y.; Franklin Special School District, Tenn.; Suffolk Public School District, Va.

Funding for the grant came with support from Elevance Health Foundation and the Posner Foundation, the news release reports.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • North Texas School District Completes Third New Elementary School

    The Denton Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, recently finished construction on its third prototype design elementary school, Reeves Elementary, according to a news release.

  • LAN, Inc. Opens Office in College Station, Texas

    Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) recently announced the opening of a new office in College Station, Texas, to support its regional client base, according to a news release. The organization provides engineering, design, and program management services for water, wastewater, transportation, stormwater, and education clients in the Brazos Valley.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

Digital Edition