What’s in your Lunchbox?
Our 8/4 briefing on “America’s Changing Palate,” was a beautiful dialogue featuring incredible insights from “Fly By Jing” CEO Jenny Gao, as well as our sparks & honey panelists. One point, especially struck a nerve, as there was mention of those “lunchbox moments” for POC students and how a push towards diversifying the public school lunch menu could diminish these embarrassing instances. Thanks to a MedCityBeat article, we learned Rochester Public Schools are already making significant movements to offer “culturally-inspired dishes in an effort to diversify the school lunch menu and better reflect district demographics.”
Watch the full Culture Briefing here:
RPS Student Nutrition Services Chef Travis Pearce collaborated with local restaurant El Carambas stating that “I want to be able to represent the districts' different cultures. That’s my whole approach at RPS, to bring back the wholesome flavors and pop some spices in there; to bring [students] something that they would normally eat at home.” Food is a direct tie to cultural heritage and belonging in most cultures. So by adding foods to the school lunch menu that are familiar to most students, it reduces the stigma surrounding a “lunchbox moment” or even better encourages students to establish a sense of pride around dishes that are near and dear to their hearts.
This signal ties directly to our EOC “inclusive design,” as it deconstructs the established “norms” within the public school lunch program and creates opportunity for students of all backgrounds to feel seen through food that’s culturally relevant to them. This is an easy access point for brands, as it invites a new conversation of what inclusion looks like from both an internal and external perspective. Whether it’s the snacks that are offered in the workplace or the companies that you choose to partner with, understand the cultural context of your employees, students, customers, or community and reflect it in the work.
Watch key takeaways from our Culture Briefing here:
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