A Big Step Towards Improving School Catering and Food Education

17 October 2024

On October 17th, Tartu Biotechnology Park hosted a successful conference at the brand-new Tõrvandi School, bringing together around 160 people passionate about food education: school leaders, local government officials, catering managers, teachers, parents, and students. The focus was on creating a better food culture in schools and addressing challenges related to school catering.

🌟 Thank you @Ingrid Põldsaar, @Taavi Tillmann, @Jesper Holter, @Tuuli Taimur, and @Mari Kooskora for insightful keynote presentations.

✨ Highlights:

🔸 Workshop 1: “How to make the profession of kindergarten and school cook attractive?” discussed recognizing school chefs’ work, creating effective salary systems, and fostering collaboration between vocational schools, local governments, and school kitchens. It emphasized the need for target group-based training.

🔸 Workshop 2: “From Refuelling Break to Wellness Hour – Food Education Initiatives That Create Change” highlighted inspiring initiatives like the “well-being hour” at Puhja School and a cookery book from Melliste School. Ideas explored included integrating food education into school culture and offering mobile eating spots in larger schools, as well as supporting future parents with midwife guidance in regard to laying the foundation for healthy and conscious eating habits starting at early childhood.

🔸 Workshop 3: “Changing the eating habits of children and young people – opportunities and challenges” engaged all parties: school, local government, parents, and students. Discussions covered flexible procurement systems for local ingredients and how students’ eating habits and parental attitudes affect food choices. Participants noted that students should have the option to separate food items, as mixed food is often disliked.

🔸 Workshop 4: “Keep, motivate, and inspire your team!” focused on motivating and recognizing kitchen staff, fostering team unity within school leadership, and considering how the image of school chefs impacts their profession. Are they working in a canteen or a school restaurant?

🔸 Workshop 5: “What can be changed so that students no longer have to go to the cafeteria?” examined whether school canteens should replace snack bars entirely. The conclusion was that the cafeteria should support the canteen or school restaurant, not replace it, and students’ eating habits can be influenced positively.

We had insightful discussions about how food education, collaboration, and recognition play pivotal roles in improving students’ well-being and shaping a positive food culture. The work continues, and we’re proud of the steps taken! 🙌