There is no seafood on the school lunch menu currently at nearly all the k-12 schools in ventura county (CA), like in much of the U.S. The disconnect between U.S. Fisheries and k-12 schools has…

There is no seafood on the school lunch menu currently at nearly all the k-12 schools in ventura county (CA), like in much of the U.S. The disconnect between U.S. Fisheries and k-12 schools has negative implications for both children and fishers alike. Seafood represents a sustainable, healthy option for youth consumption, and schools are a critical yet underutilized high volume market opportunity for fisheries. In order to address this issue, get hooked seafood (a community supported fishery) will create a successful, replicable ventura county sea-to-school program which will connect k-12 school children with local seafood products through their school lunch service. We will develop and school-test several affordable, KID-friendly seafood products and deliver our most successful seafood products to 40 schools within the 6 ventura county school districts. In addition, we will create seafood preparation trainings for school food service staff and an extensive classroom curriculum that includes participation from local fishers to educate students about local fisheries and seafood. Our ultimate goal is to increase market demand for U.S. Fisheries by developing strategies, value-added seafood products, and an educational campaign that stimulates demand for local and regional seafood in educational food service settings and beyond.