How Dundalk Middle School students initiated change in their lunch menu

With more than 110,000 students in Baltimore County Public Schools, student feedback is pivotal to success. At Dundalk Middle School, every month, students are invited to attend Community School Committee meetings led by Community School Facilitator Billye Cooper. The meetings offer students the opportunity to share their ideas or opinions regarding the school.

In the October 2023 meeting, Anais Martinez, a Grade 8 student, came up with a bright idea: “What if we made the lunch menu more diverse?” Dundalk Middle School is home to a community of students who come from many different backgrounds and cultures. After receiving Anais’ feedback, Cooper learned that many students feel that the “American style” menu BCPS offered was not entirely reflective of their cultural backgrounds. In hopes of finding their “one piece of home” in school, the students sought to curate new menu items that would represent their diverse heritages.

Cooper took this grand idea to Jaime Hetzler, BCPS director of the Office of Food and Nutrition Services, and the two collaborated to explore potential new menu items for Dundalk Middle School. It began with a tasting event where a select group of students tried some potential new menu items: Tikka Masala with Rice and Naan and Chicken Tinga with Rice. Cooper recalls encouraging the students to be specific about what they did or didn’t like about the food.

As a result of the detailed, positive feedback from students, both dishes moved forward to the next tasting event!

At the second tasting event, a larger number of students had the opportunity to sample the new dishes and provide feedback. The feedback gathered from these events informed the final selection of menu items, which is set to be implemented at the start of the next school year.

The students also eagerly shared stories of their cultural traditions and family recipes. Students said:

“I like to have foods that I can eat. In my house, we eat spicy food and rice.”“My mom cooks masala often, and I want my friends to try it, too. They will love it.”“This chicken tikka tastes like the one in the restaurant, really good.”

A simple change in the menu had such a significant impact on students. For many, it wasn’t just about the food itself, but the opportunity to share feedback with adults and create a cultural connection with their peers. Students emphasized the importance of having little pieces of home in their school building. The decision to involve students in the menu planning process was not just about catering to their tastes; it was also about empowering them to take ownership of their school environment and play an active role in shaping the school community.

As the Office of Food and Nutrition gears up to implement these new menu items next school year, there’s a sense of excitement among students. They’re eager to see their favorite dishes make it onto the menu and to discover new dishes that they may not have had the chance to try before. For Cooper’s students, the new menu represents an opportunity to not only enjoy delicious food, but also to celebrate the diverse community that makes up Dundalk Middle School. The Office of Food and Nutrition hopes to continue collaborating with students to find new ways to incorporate cuisine from different cultures and provide more variety to the menu rotation.

“I think the key piece is truly what we’ve done to change our process for writing menus so that the control is at the student level,” Hetzler said, reaffirming her belief that school menu decisions should involve more student opinion.

So, this August, when students return to the cafeteria, we hope they remember the collaboration and teamwork that went into bringing these delicious new options to the BCPS school lunch menu!

The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) works to provide nutritious and appetizing meals in a supportive and attractive atmosphere for BCPS students. Breakfast and lunch meals are served to all BCPS students at no cost to them or their families. The OFNS supports the education of children by promoting life-long, healthy attitudes and eating habits and providing services in a clean, safe environment in a cost-effective manner.