Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Schools In Focus: Food Service During a Pandemic

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 09/08/20

Schools In Focus is a Spaces4Learning podcast dedicated to K-12 and higher ed design, planning, and management. Each episode will feature a conversation with industry experts, facility managers, architects, and thought leaders on topics related to educational facilities. Catch up on previous episodes here.

Today's episode is about K-12 food service during a pandemic.

Schools In Focus, Episode 6: School Lunch During a Pandemic

Schools In Focus podcast logo and Belinda Oakley, CEO of Chartwells K12, and Seth Ferriell, CEO of SSC Services for Education. 

Lunchtime is a bright spot in anyone’s day, especially for students. It’s a time for them to socialize and fuel up for the rest of their day. However during a pandemic, school lunch looks totally different. In this episode of Schools In Focus podcast, I speak to Belinda Oakley, CEO of Chartwells K12, and Seth Ferriell, CEO of SSC Services for Education, about school food service during a pandemic.

“There’s a number of ways to make sure school lunch is still a bright spot in a student’s day in this new environment but it’s really about having a flexible view of that and being prepared to pivot and change your plan as the situations continue to evolve,” Oakley says in the podcast.

We discuss various models of food service to accommodate social distancing such as lunch in classrooms and take-home meal kits; keeping cafeterias and classrooms clean; sustainable options to combat the increase of paper and plastic; and innovation in the K-12 food service industry.

Where to Listen

Schools In Focus is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Subscribe today, or listen below!

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.