Dear Chef:

Thank you for answering the First Lady’s call to adopt a school in your community. More than 2,700 chefs across the country are volunteering their time to help generate excitement about nutritious foods in schools through school gardens, cooking demonstrations, taste tests and more. The possibilities to engage students, teachers, food service staff, and parents in supporting healthy schools are endless.

Step #1: Find a School:

The first contact is made by the chef reaching out to the school to explore the possibilities. Visit the Chefs Move to Schools map to find a school in your area that is interested in working with a chef to educate kids about food and nutrition. Use the contact information provided for the school on the map to make contact and discuss how you can work together.

If you are already working with a school or if there is a school you would like to work with that is are not on the list, please encourage the school to sign up here.

For privacy reasons, the Chefs Move to Schools map does not provide chefs’ specific contact information to schools. Plus, many Chefs have preferences on which schools they are interested in working with—whether it be a school near where they live, a school their child attends or one that they feel could most benefit from their involvement. So, the first contact with the school is made by the chef reaching out to the school to explore the possibilities.

Step #2: Tell Us Which School You Are Adopting:

Let us know which school you will be working with by updating your profile on the Chefs Move to Schools website. Tell us which school you are working with and share your success stories. You can return to your profile page at any time to send us updates and share your work with the Chefs Move to Schools program.

Step #3: Resources to Get Started:

For ideas on how chefs can work with schools, visit LetsMove.gov. Here you’ll find important information on the HealthierUS School Challenge, Child Nutrition Programs, questions to get started and recipes for success to begin improving the health of your school. Check LetsMove.gov often for new information about the school environment, the National School Lunch Program, talking points to begin a discussion with your school and more.

Step #4: Share Your Success!

Once you have established a partnership with a school, you can share your stories with the Let’s Move! community. Tell us what’s working or what isn’t and share your pictures, success stories, ideas and tips! Here’s how you can stay connected with Chefs Move to Schools:

• Send your success story to chefs@ars.usda.gov– some stories may be highlighted on LetsMove.gov to inspire others
• Engage in a dialogue on the Let’s Move! Facebook page – share tips, ideas and success stories with other chefs and schools
• Share your photos through the Let’s Move! Flickr page with the hashtag #LetsMove