A public charter school with three Uintah Basin locations has been awarded a significant grant from the School Nutrition Foundation. The Athenian eAcademy District in Utah was awarded a $50,000 dollar Vulcan Equipment Grant for school meal program equipment. The press announcement shares that equipment will be purchased for three of the Athenian District’s full-time campuses, which are all new to the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. Athenian School Food Director Ashley Smith says the new equipment supports their goal to transition from a costly food service management company to an in-house school meal program. “We are thrilled to receive this grant as financial and time constraints and labor shortages often hinder our ability to provide fresh, nutritious meals,” explains Smith. “We are working to expand our meal programs to enhance the well-being of our students and support their academic success.” Smith added that the new equipment will help them utilize local, seasonal ingredients with more scratch cooking, allowing for greater control over ingredients and portion sizes, and reducing reliance on processed foods often higher in sodium and sugar. School officials will work with the food equipment group to determine which equipment best suits their school district’s specific needs.
