Shifting Perceptions of School Food Professionals in California

Across California, K–12 school food programs faced staffing shortages and persistently low wages, driven in part by the undervaluing of school food professionals—despite the essential role they played in supporting student health and well-being.

Through this work, we developed and tested public-facing narratives for a statewide Chef Ann Foundation campaign that shifted perceptions of school food work, elevated these roles as skilled and meaningful careers, and built greater interest and support, particularly among parents of school-aged children.