Young Citizens Take Action for Better School Lunches

Months of civic action began from something as ordinary as the pre-made school salad. At Park Forest Elementary School in State College, Pennsylvania, the daily lunch salad was served with ham, croutons, and cheese. Three fifth grade girls at Forest Park believed this salad didn't serve their health or religious needs. One girl, Anika, could not eat the salad because she was lactose-intolerant.¹ Sana, whose family is from United Arab Emirates, was a vegetarian because of her Muslim background. Another girl, Olivia, couldn't eat the meat on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent because of her religious beliefs as an Orthodox Christian. The three wanted to eat salad, but initially found the cafeteria workers could not serve it in any different form for them. They brought their issue to their teacher, Ms. Cody, and from there began a journey of student voice and activism.