Last week GREEN TABLES co-chairs Dame Hilary Baum and Dame Barbara Petit, and Dame Marie Kelley, GT liaison to the LDEI board, were invited to participate in a conference call with White House chef, Sam Kass and representatives of many other culinary organizations regarding "Chefs Move to Schools", a new initiative of the First Lady's "Let's Move" campaign www.letsmove.gov. Share Our Strength and the National Restaurant Association are facilitating the initial chef engagement for this initiative.

LDEI has been asked to invite our member chefs and food professionals who will commit to adopt a school in their community, or those who have already done so, to participate in this initiative. This is an exciting community service opportunity.

There are 3 components of this Initiative to bring to your attention:

1. If you have already "adopted" a school, that is have been working with a specific school for a period of time, there is an opportunity for you to share your success story by completing a chef profile immediately. The chef profile must be completed by Monday May 24 by 12noon and should be sent to Barbara Petit at petitbolster@comcast.net. We will submit these to the First Lady's staff who are looking for good stories to highlight at the launch in the press, and on the website. Creative approaches and diversity in all its forms are encouraged.

Follow this link  to chef profile doc to the LDEI website to get a copy of the chef profile form. Copy the chef profile form into the body of an email, complete the form and send to petitbolster@comcast.net

2. There is an opportunity for up to 25 LDEI chef members who are willing to commit to adopting a school in their community to apply for an invitation (on a first come, first serve basis) to the White House launch. The Chefs Move to Schools Launch event is set for FRIDAY JUNE 4th. The exact time is TBD but will almost definitely be late morning. The launch event will be a large-scale gathering on the South Lawn. Chefs who attend will have the fun of going on the White House grounds, will be able to visit the White House garden, will get to hear the First Lady (and any other celebrity speakers) speak in person, as well as have the experience of being part of the launch of an exciting new initiative. No funding is available to cover costs associated with attending.
Share Our Strength is planning a breakfast forum the same morning near the White House (exact time and location also TBD) that will be a how-to session to complement the excitement and inspiration at the White House. To apply for an invitation please send the following information necessary for White House security to Barbara Petit at petitbolster@comcast.net no later than Tuesday May 26.
Name: First, Middle Initial, Last
Title, Business Affiliation
Date of Birth
Social Security Number
Citizen of the US: Yes or No
City, State, Country of residence
Will attend breakfast: Yes or No
Will attend launch: Yes or No

If concerns about emailing this information, contact Barbara Petit.

3. The opportunity to be a part of this initiative by registering on-line as a food professional interested in adopting a school. Go to  www.letsmove.gov  and click on the “Chefs Move to Schools” button (The USDA will do matching this summer for those who haven't identified a school themselves.)

Thanks for your interest and sorry for the short timeframe.
Below you’ll find the complete press release issued by The White House about "Chefs Move to Schools".

First Lady Michelle Obama Launches "Chefs Move to Schools" Program
THE WHITE HOUSE: As communities and organizations get behind the First Lady's Let's Move! campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, one group that could have a tremendous impact on the health and well being of children is the Nation's chefs. As part of her effort to turn policies into practical solutions for America's families, Mrs. Obama is calling on chefs to get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents, school nutritionists and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition. By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children.

The "Chefs Move to Schools" program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will pair chefs with interested schools in their communities so together they can create healthy meals that meet the schools' dietary guidelines and budgets, while teaching young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choices. 'With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than ever.'

"Many children consume as many as half of their daily calories at school and as families work to ensure that kids eat right and have active play at home, we also need to ensure our kids have access to healthy meals in their schools," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "We are going to need everyone's time and talent to solve the childhood obesity epidemic and our Nation's chefs have tremendous power as leaders on this issue because of their deep knowledge of food and nutrition and their standing in the community. I want to thank them for joining the Let's Move! campaign".

"Chefs and nutrition experts can play a critical role in addressing the childhood obesity crisis, and they are welcome partners as we work together to improve the overall health and nutrition of America's children," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "By passing a strong reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, Congress can provide important resources to improve school cafeteria equipment and expand training opportunities for chefs, school food service personnel, and nutrition experts in our schools, because they will be on the front lines of improving school meals for our kids."

"School cafeterias are the frontline for fostering a healthy lifestyle for children," said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "This initiative is a creative and vital opportunity for children to learn and practice healthy habits. When partnerships between schools and the broader community are created, everyone wins".

Chefs interested in signing up can do so by going to www.letsmove.gov and clicking on the "Chefs Move to Schools" button. In coming weeks, chefs will be paired with a school in their community that is interested in using them as a resource.