The Urban School Food Alliance has added another school to its fold.
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Suwanee, Georgia is the latest district to join the nonprofit organization, which represents some of the nation’s largest school districts.
GCPS is the largest school district in the state of Georgia. The nutrition team serves 30 million meals a year across all programs and has an annual procurement budget of just under $80 million.
“We are excited to welcome GCPS to the Alliance,” said Dr. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance, in a statement. “Their dedication to advancing school nutrition and their innovative solutions for large-scale food programs will strengthen our efforts to ensure that students across the country benefit from nutritious and sustainable food options.”
The Urban School Food Alliance was formed in 2012 and aims to help its member districts by sharing best practices, advocating for policy aimed at improving student meal access, and utilizing its collective purchasing power to provide high-quality student meals while keeping costs down.
In the past, the USFA has helped its members adopt an antibiotic-free standard for chicken and turkey. It also partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture last fall to develop new educational tools to help schools with procurement challenges.
With addition of GCPS, the organization has grown its membership to 19 districts across the country.