The goal of our research project was to work with Grow Hartford Youth Program, a food justice organization in Hartford, CT. Grow Hartford Youth Program organizes the youth and community around social injustices such as food injustice, racism, and adultism. Our project’s aim was to bring awareness to the Hartford Public School nutrition plan and to determine how power players in the food sector impact the food provided in these schools. Specifically, we aimed to answer:
- What is the nutritional content of the food in Hartford public schools?
- Do these foods have protein?
- Do these foods have fats?
- Do these foods contain vitamins and minerals?
- How high or low are the amounts of carbohydrates in these foods?
- How high or low are the levels of fats in these foods?
- Do any of these foods contain high amounts of sodium and/or preservatives?
- Do any of the foods provided have food dyes, artificial flavorings, and/or carcinogens that contradict and/or are not included in federal guidelines?
- Who are the companies and corporations that schools partner with within Hartford?
- What is the role of the dairy industry in schools?
- How do these connections shape nutrition in Hartford Public Schools?
- Encourage sustainable and equitable food sources by finding out who is in charge of the distribution.
- Are the food companies involved with HPS local or national?
- Who are the power players that make decisions about the foods which are provided in schools and that are connected to the overall education sector?
- Which of these power players supply school foods for HPS?
- Which of these power players work within HPS within and beyond the food sector?
- Which of these power players work within Connecticut’s educational sector?
