All over the country, people are beginning to notice the palpable distance between our food producers and our tables and the devastating impact this is having on the health and wellness of our communities. The effect of our “Fast Food Culture” on youth, in particular, is well documented and the findings regarding obesity, chronic diseases, and life expectancy are sobering. Less documented, but still very real, are the effects of this industrialized system on our youth’s knowledge, understanding, and relationships with food and food production. Slow Food USA believes that the solution to better health and wellness among our nation’s youth relies heavily on their ability to make conscious, informed decisions about their food: who grows it, how it is grown, how it is prepared, and with whom it is enjoyed. Gaining ownership over these choices necessitates a thoughtful, meaningful food educational experience—one that addresses food as a system and recognizes the impact of food choices on both consumer and community health.

Slow Food in Schools works through our Garden to Table Projects and our Slow Food on Campus program to create meaningful relationships between youth and food. By placing emphasis on hands-on experiences, community interaction, and the pleasures of the table, Slow Food in Schools helps to strengthen the food communities of tomorrow by engaging youth today. Please explore our Garden to Table and Slow Food on Campus initiatives to learn more about the specific ways we are connecting youth to their food.

Garden to Table

Slow Food in Schools’ Garden to Table projects rest on the three building blocks of pleasure, tradition, and sustainability. Ranging from after-school cooking classes to farm tours to schoolyard gardens, our Garden to Table projects are diverse yet all involve the fundamental principles of Slow Food. All projects are hands-on and create a direct connection between children and their food source, emphasizing the pleasures of taste and the table.

Slow Food on Campus

Slow Food on Campus is a network of Campus Convivia, chapters of Slow Food USA run by college and university students across the country. These Campus Convivia are the working arm of Slow Food USA in the college community. Campus Convivia represent a passionate cross-section of youth addressing food system and food justice issues, spanning environmental and social causes. By engaging their fellow students in the pleasures of the table and the garden, Campus Convivia aim to promote good, clean and fair food on our nation’s college campuses.