Student Well-Being & Movement Video

Inside Latino Parents’ Push for Healthy, Culturally Appropriate School Lunches

By Kaylee Domzalski — April 29, 2022 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Editor’s Note: To see English subtitles in the video, select the closed captioning option in the bottom right of the player.

In 2017, a group of parents in Lafayette and Boulder, Colo., met with Boulder Valley School District’s director of nutrition to address a lack of Latino foods in the school lunch menus. In the years since, BVSD implemented a culinary center to cook fresh, local, and cultural food.

Now a new group of Latino parents have asked neighboring district St. Vrain Valley Schools in Longmont Colo., to take on similar changes in its school menus. These parents discuss their advocacy work and what others can learn from it.

Coverage of strategies for advancing the opportunities for students most in need, including those from low-income families and communities, is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, at www.waltonk12.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting the New K-12 Workforce: What Teachers Need to Stay at School
 Join this free virtual event to discover what teachers say they need to feel supported to stay in classrooms for the long haul.
College & Workforce Readiness K-12 Essentials Forum Career and Technical Education Takes Its Next Big Step
Join this free virtual event to hear creative approaches to modernize CTE programs and navigate the shift away from a near-exclusive focus on "college preparedness."

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A What Students Lose When Recess Is Squeezed Out of the Schedule
Two professors discuss why recess is not a priority in the education system and equity issues amongst students.
6 min read
20260618 AMX US NEWS HOW 30 MINUTES RECESS COULD 1 LA
First and 2nd graders play during a mid-morning recess at William F. Prisk Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on May 20, 2026 . The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its recess recommendations this year for the first time in 13 years, recommending a minimum of 20 minutes of recess daily.
Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times
Student Well-Being & Movement 'Anxious Generation' Author Jonathan Haidt and Others Tackle Tech Overuse
An EdWeek forum explored creative solutions to encourage students to move away from screens and devices.
4 min read
A student uses a cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy, Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif.
A student uses a cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A 'The Most Authentic English Class I've Ever Taught'
Emily Torres said the class has been the most meaningful teaching experience of her career.
3 min read
121225 Spokane KD 61
Emily Torres speaks with her creative writing students at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., on Dec. 4, 2025. Students in the class have experienced significant trauma, mental health challenges, or both.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Inside a School Where Creative Writing Helps Teens Cope With Trauma
Students in a class taught by Emily Torres have significant trauma, mental health challenges, or both.
15 min read
121225 Spokane KD 58
Emily Torres teaches a creative writing class at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., on Dec. 4, 2025. All the students in the class have experienced significant trauma, mental health challenges, or both.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week