For children everywhere, the opportunity to thrive in the classroom starts with a full belly and a nutritious meal. We know that when students have access to healthy food, they are more likely to be focused, energized, and emotionally regulated throughout the school day. At The Tepper Foundation, we are working towards a world where all community members have this basic need met. We support the Coalition for Food and Health Equity’s Ujamaa Café program – an innovative way to advance food security, economic justice and nutrition literacy. With seven locations spanning from food pantries to cancer centers and pride centers, to now schools, the Ujamaa Café community refrigerators are stocked with free, nutritious, locally-sourced food options. The fridges’ unique technology provides feedback on their communities' dietary preferences and nutritional habits, leading to reduced waste and highly tailored offerings.
We spoke with Angela Mincy, Superintendent of the Marion P. Thomas Charter School in Newark, New Jersey, and Dr. Liana Summey, Principal of the Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology, to hear how this program has impacted their students.
Q: What is the need for free, nutritious food for students at your school?
Mincy: To put it into perspective, 70% of our scholars qualify for free or reduced lunch. On top of that, food prices are rising, exacerbating the issue of food security even more. That’s why the Ujamaa Café program is so necessary right now.
Summey: To start broadly, everyone needs access to healthy, nutritious meals. But for teens, it’s even more critical. When students are well-fed, they’re able to start their school day with a strong foundation.
Q: How does the Ujamaa Café program work at your school?
Mincy: Students have open access to our refrigerator at all times and at no charge. This way, the stigma of food assistance is removed, which is really incredible. We also strategically placed it outside of the cafeteria so students can access it after school hours. This is when many of our students are involved in sports and other high-impact activities and need that extra boost.
Q: What is unique about the Ujamaa Café program?
Summey: The data component is really unique and fascinating. The refrigerator is programmed to let us know exactly how many of the items are being taken and at what times. This allows us to reduce our waste immensely. As a data science and technology-focused school, our students have access to the data and get to work with trained volunteers to analyze it, which is a unique learning experience. So it’s not just about providing nutritious food, it’s also about the students having a sense of ownership over this program and its data.
Q: What does it mean for students to have access to a free, nutritious meal through the program?
Mincy: It is a game-changer. It is difficult to focus when you’re competing with an empty stomach. At our school, academics are the bedrock of what we do, but we know these kids are more than just students. They’re whole human beings with basic needs that must be met first and foremost. When our students come to school, we want them to be able to lay their burdens down and focus on their education and well-being. Having constant access to free, fresh food plays an important role in making that possible.
Q: How have students responded to the Ujamaa Café program?
Mincy: By the end of the first day, our refrigerator was completely empty. High school students are often hard to impress but they were impressed by this! The longer we’ve had the refrigerator, the more their excitement has grown.
Summey: The food flies off the shelves every single day! The kids not only love the food but are interested in how the refrigerator works as a whole. So this program is not only providing healthy food options, it’s also sparking curiosity and educating students on what good nutrition looks like. Overall, this program is a great example of what a community partnership should look like!
Learn more about Ujamaa Café community refrigerators here.