Dallas, February 10, 2012—First Lady Michelle Obama has announced that the School Nutrition Association and the American Culinary Federation are leading a new coalition to oversee the Chefs Move to Schools program.

The coalition of prominent culinary, nutrition and school organizations listed below will spearhead new efforts to expand Chefs Move to Schools, which helps chefs and schools team up to educate children about healthy food choices.  

The First Lady also unveiled a new Chefs Move to Schools website, www.chefsmovetoschools.org, created by the coalition to serve as a one-stop shop for chefs and schools interested in working together. The site will allow visitors to sign up for the program; access training, recipes and resources; and learn how chefs and schools across the country are partnering to create healthier school environments.

The First Lady made the announcement during an event in Dallas celebrating the second anniversary of the Let’s Move! initiative. SNA CEO Frank DiPasquale, who attended the celebration commented, “We all have an important role to play in helping America’s students make healthier choices. School Nutrition Association is proud to be partnering with the Chefs Move to Schools coalition to support our members’ ongoing efforts to promote healthy school environments.”

SNA members are constantly working to improve school meals and encourage students to make healthier choices. The First Lady’s event was held in Dallas Independent School District where SNA Past President Dora Rivas runs the school meal programs. The First Lady recognized the district for earning the most Gold award winning schools in the HealthierUS School Challenge, and working with chefs to make healthy changes to school menus and offer cooking classes for students and families.  

“Chefs Move to Schools has been a huge success with thousands of chefs teaming up with schools to prepare healthier meals and teach students about healthy eating, and now we’re excited to take this program to the next level,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “ChefsMoveToSchools.org will make it even easier for chefs to connect with schools and share ideas with each other. So I’m counting on chefs and schools across our country to go to the website, sign up, and start cooking!”

The Chefs Move to Schools program began in June 2010 as part of the Let’s Move! initiative, dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. Through the program, chefs partner with schools in their communities and work with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals to help educate kids about food and nutrition. The goal of the program is to promote chefs as the catalyst for creating a new nation of child food advocates and start turning the tide on unhealthy eating behaviors. 

Approximately 3,400 chefs and 3,350 schools across the nation have signed up for the program to date. Together, chefs and schools have developed gardens, introduced salad bars to cafeterias, created healthier school meal recipes, hosted educational demonstrations and empowered kids with the knowledge they need to make healthy decisions. 

The new Chefs Move to Schools coalition will build on this success. In addition to SNA and ACF, coalition organizations include Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN), The Culinary Trust, Harvard School of Public Health, International Corporate Chefs Association, SupermarketGuru|The Lempert Report, National Food Service Management Institute, Partnership for a Healthier America, Share Our Strength and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Visit www.chefsmovetoschools.org today to learn more or to register as an official participant.