Beyond the Lunch Tray: How Place-Based School Initiatives Build Healthier, Stronger Communities

Schools are often the heart of a community—where children learn, families gather, and local systems intersect. Yet, the cafeteria is rarely seen as a driver of health equity or community well-being. Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is changing that narrative by embedding scratch-cooked meals, nutrition education, and structured movement directly into public school systems—starting locally and scaling nationally.

This session will explore how place-based, school-driven wellness initiatives like WITS serve as powerful models for addressing health disparities, economic inequities, and community resilience. If chosen, Nancy Easton, Executive Director and Co-Founder of WITS, and Alexina Cather, WITS’ Director of Policy and Special Projects, who leads the organization’s policy efforts and cross-sector partnerships, will share lessons learned from 20 years of partnership with local governments, school districts, and chefs, including the recent citywide expansion into all 1,800 NYC public schools—the largest wellness initiative of its kind.

Attendees will explore how hyper-local, school-based programs can scale without losing impact, the role of public-private partnerships in institutionalizing change, and how investing in school wellness strengthens economic, health, and social outcomes at the community level.