Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has become the newest member of the Urban School Food Alliance (USFA). The second Maryland district to join The Alliance is MCPS.
According to USFA, Maryland’s largest school system, MCPS serves around 160,000 students in 211 schools. Every year, more than 18 million meals are delivered by its Department of Food and Nutrition Services, meeting vital requirements in a multicultural society. In addition to breakfast and lunch, MCPS offers creative meal programs catered to the needs of kids in a courteous, welcoming setting.
According to USFA Executive Director Dr. Katie Wilson, MCPS’ commitment to providing wholesome, enticing meals in an inclusive environment is a great fit with our objectives. Our dedication to empowering districts is shown in their emphasis on promoting student performance through effective, creative nutrition initiatives. Our ability to raise school nutrition standards across the country is strengthened with the addition of MCPS as our 20th member.
The benefits of joining USFA were emphasized by Elizabeth Leach, Director of MCPS’s Department of Food & Nutrition Services: MCPS is excited to work with leaders and innovators in nutrition nationwide to prepare kids for success. We are very excited to work together, share our experiences, and learn from others’.
The USFA is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2012 and represents 20 member districts that together serve 4.5 million kids every day in 6,542 schools across the country. Through strategic procurement, evidence-based practices, and vigorous advocacy, USFA members—whose total purchasing power exceeds $1 billion—drive transformative change in child nutrition and guarantee that all students have access to nutritious, high-quality meals.
According to Dr. Wilson, the involvement of MCPS strengthens our common goal of innovating and improving school nutrition. By growing our network with MCPS, we will be able to promote collaboration and resource sharing to transform child nutrition nationwide while enacting significant and economical reforms.
