The Lunch Level Up team originally planned to put on a competition inspired by “Top Chef” so students could create a healthy lunch and learn to make food that is nutritious, fun, and delicious. When COVID-19 presented a barrier, the team at Winter Park High School did not let it stop them, transitioning their project to focus on educating students about food insecurity. They successfully distributed 150+ meal kits and recipe cards to their peers and developed a lasting relationship between their school and a local farm.

The SOAR program connected high school student athletes with other high school and middle school students, both serving as mentors and encouraging them to get involved with team-building activities like volunteer projects, field days, and physical activities that boost mental health. Once their project was underway, the team collaborated with the New England Dairy Council to provide helpful handouts on physical and mental wellness. The team incorporated mentorship activities that reached 60 students and they will continue to carry this work forward with the school’s athletic director in the years to come.

In order to meet the growing need for healthy reading habits, this project combined books and recipes for healthy snacking to support reading and health campaigns for first graders in their district. Every student across eight classrooms now has at least one book in their home to read and learn from. Brookings High School’s project has succeeded so well they have been accepted to give a national workshop on their project at the 2023 National FCCLA Conference.