(Jessup, MD) – The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is hosting a An Opportunity to Taste the Food Your Children Eat at School on Thursday to allow parents and students to rate school food menu items and sample potential new items. Earlier this year, HCPSS, the Horizon Foundation and the Healthier Choices Coalition announced a number of planned initiatives beginning this school year to improve school meals. The Taste Test Night is the first of these initiatives designed to improve the healthfulness, quality and taste of school meals and to better incorporate parent and student feedback. Officials from HCPSS, the Horizon Foundation and members of the Healthier Choices Coalition will be available to speak to the media during the event.
WHAT: Taste Test Night for parents and students to sample and rate school food menu items
WHERE: Cafeteria of Guilford Park High School, 8500 Ridgelys Run Rd, Jessup, MD 20794
WHEN: Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 6-7 p.m. (Media availability from spokespeople below from 6-6:30 p.m.)
WHO: Bill Barnes, Superintendent, Howard County Public School System
Brian Ralph, Director, Food and Nutrition Services, Howard County Public School System
Alice Harris, Lead Organizer, Healthier Choices Coalition
Nikki Highsmith Vernick, President & CEO, Horizon Foundation
Glenn E. Schneider, Chief Program Officer, Horizon Foundation
Anna Beavan, Founder & President, LindaBen Foundation
James Zoller, Program Manager, Roving Radish
The Healthier Choices Coalition is a group of Howard County civic, faith and health organizations and individuals working to create policy change that will make healthier food and drinks more widely available, accessible and affordable for everyone in Howard County. Members have been working with the Howard County Public School System for over a year to improve school meals, which for many students is the primary source of daily calories and nutrition. Howard County residents can get involved with the Coalition by visiting https://www.thehorizonfoundation.org/healthier-choices-coalition/.