![]() “It’s the center of social pressure and a microcosm of all that goes on within a school, so it’s intuitive that if barriers are removed, it makes it a more pleasant place.”Īlthough New York City began offering free lunches to all students in 2017, some schools rolled them out earlier. “The cafeteria can play either a very positive role or a negative role in kids’ lives,” said Liz Accles, executive director of Community Food Advocates. The study supports advocates’ claims that offering universal free meals reduces the shame and harassment that some low-income students experience when they opt for cafeteria food. it’s sort of this whole school ripple effect.”īefore universal free meals, students would have to identify themselves as free-lunch eligible, creating de facto segregation between those who could pay $1.75 for lunch and those who couldn’t. “What I found pleasantly surprising was that it improves the school climate for all students. “Universal free meals is sort of talked about as a program that can influence poor and near-poor students,” said Emily Gutierrez, who authored the report. Researchers found that all students, regardless of poverty status, reported improved perceptions of bullying, fighting and safety outside of school after free lunch was implemented. While previous research has found that free lunch boosts academic performance, this study was the first of its kind to look at its impact on school climate, or students’ perceptions of their learning environment. The report, from Washington D.C.-based think tank Urban Institute, used New York City students’ responses to annual surveys as well as school meal participation data from the city’s education department to investigate the impact of free school lunches. New York City’s school food program improves students’ perceptions of bullying, fighting, and safety at their schools, according to a new study. Universal free lunch doesn’t just provide meals for children.
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