Mount Shasta School CAFE

We are bringing nutritional, fun
​food choices to Mount Shasta students

Our Goal
To provide healthy food that our young people like to eat.  Food that grows strong bodies, bright minds, and balanced emotions. To bring the community together to ensure healthy meals for Mount Shasta Union School District students and to provide an understanding of and an appreciation for real food that is delicious, local, organic, and fresh.

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Read about us in the August 2019 North State Parent magazine.

The Journey

Parents and students at Sisson and Mount Shasta Elementary have asked for better school lunches.  Lunches that include fresh, additive-free, non-gmo, organic (when possible), delicious whole food.  The problem was, we didn't have our own school kitchens.  We relied on food being delivered from another school kitchen in another city.  The problem seemed too big to solve.

Maya and Ella

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Two students (Maya and Ella) and a Sisson parent (Colleen Shelly) continued to ask for better school lunches.  Only 40 % of the students were eating the food at school.  They were told they had a choice in this matter;  to try and fix the problem.  Next thing you know Maya, then a 7th grader, wrote a class essay about improving the school with better food. She outlined a fresh, tasty, organic, whole foods solution!

Wayne Kessler, a supporter of this youth led project, prompted Maya to present her idea to the Board of Trustees of the Mount Shasta Union School District.  
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At the December 2016 meeting of the Board of Trustees of MSUSD, Maya presented her paper, making a case for improving the taste and nutrition of school food.

They apparently liked what she had to say :-)  because this youth-led project inspired the Board to create a Superintendent's committee designated as the School CAFE (Culinary Action for Education).  The committee consisted of students, parents, Board Trustees, the Superintendent, school employees, and you!

School CAFE's first action, in 2017 was forming a food-centric, after school club, created and run by Colleen Shelly. Students came once a week to prepare and explore food that was nutrious and delicious. Colleen brought her blender for smoothies and slipped in a little nutrition education as well. The poster above was created at CAFE Club: High Fructose Corn Syrup: why you should avoid it. 

Three years later, School CAFE has made a name for itself in the school community by bringing more fresh fruits and veggies into the lives of students. We even have a fiscal sponsor; the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center. The support of MSBEC allows us to be under the umbrella of a 501(c)3 and be eligible for charitable donations. See our Donations page to learn about our past campaigns!

Become part of a movement for healthy school meals in Mt. Shasta and help students to have fresh, highly nutritious, wholesome food.

​If you are interested in being a part of this wonderful program you are welcome to contact us.

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​The School CAFE

Our Progress​

Kids from the CAFE Club, led by Maya and Ella, went door to door in 2018 collecting donations from local businesses.  They kept their intention and hopes high and met with most businesses in the downtown area of Mt. Shasta.  Amazingly, they collected $8,500! 
The School Board voted on February 19, 2019 to establish this district’s own meal program based around salad bars and a hot main dish for lunch.  
​This is a win!  We are well on our way to realizing our goals.
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On the 28th of February 2019 a check for $8500 was presented to the School Board to buy salad bars for the elementary schools, K - 8 cafeterias.

We feel the news of the support from the School CAFE team and local businesses convinced the school board of our sincerity and persistence in bringing healthy food and nutrition education to the community.

Student creativity and initiative + school support

The students are learning about successfully working with each other, community members, school board trustees, and teachers and sponsors.  They are learning how to plan and prepare and to implement their ideas.  This experience is so valuable.
School CAFE Mt. Shasta, California 96067                                                                                                                                                      © COPYRIGHT 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.