What is NSLW?
It’s National School Lunch Week (NSLW), South Carolina! From October 10-14, NSLW will be observed by communities nationwide as part of the annual celebration hosted by the School Nutrition Association. 76 years ago, President Truman signed the National School Lunch Act, forming the National School Lunch Program, which—in turn—paved the way for the creation of other programs like school breakfast, after school meals, summer meals, and more. School nutrition programs play a massive role supporting kids and ensuring they are healthy and ready to learn.
Across the country, 30 million students participate in the school lunch program, including over 450,000 kids in South Carolina.
This NSLW, we recognize those leaders who are behind the scenes, making decisions to help staff and students stay safe, healthy and nourished. You help guarantee kids are healthy and ready to learn, and provide a constant in these challenging times. Feeding kids today is one of the smartest investments we can make to ensure they’re ready to face the challenges of tomorrow.
Why is School Lunch Important?
For the millions of children who receive a free or reduced-price school lunch, these nutritious, convenient and affordable meals fill in the gaps that many kids are missing at home by increasing their health and overall well-being.
- Better nutrition increases students’ concentration and improves their cognitive function, which leads to higher test scores and a better education.
- School lunches are designed to meet specific nutritional needs for growing kids. When these standards are met, kids are less likely to get sick or miss school.
- Children who are nourished are less irritable, get along better with classmates and cause fewer classroom disruptions.
To learn more about the importance of school meals, click here.
How You Can Participate in NSLW
NSLW aims to raise awareness about the importance of school lunch and help families who may benefit from the program understand the benefits of a nutritious lunch during the school day. There are many ways to spread the word to families and teachers and increase student participation in your school lunch program. You can:
- Decorate your school! Students can create their own posters and display them
- Have your teachers and principal serve lunch at your school for a day
- Host a student-led competition to create a lunch menu for the week in your school
- Reach out to local celebrities to come to your school to celebrate the week, or even your school mascot!
- Reach out to your local paper (or school newspaper) to celebrate your school nutrition staff and the work they do
- Post your work on social media using the hashtag #NSLW22 to showcase your school!
Resources
- SNA Marketing and PR Resources:
https://schoolnutrition.org/resource/national-school-lunch-week-2022-marketing-pr-resources/
- NSLW coloring and activity sheets: https://schoolnutrition.org/resource/national-school-lunch-week-2022-activities/
- School Meals Application Outreach Toolkit
https://express.adobe.com/page/1IPGBCsq9UO89/
You can also check out our resources page here.