A team of researchers has received a $1.5 million cooperative award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine the state of school food service in the U.S. and explore strategies to create “a stable and respected child nutrition workforce that can provide nutritious meals to students while supporting resilient local and regional food systems.” Jennifer Gaddis, an associate professor of Civil Society & Community Studies will lead the team, which includes Alexia Kulwiec, a labor lawyer from the School for Workers who studies labor standards and policy within the U.S. agriculture and food system, Laura Dresser, a labor economist and policy analyst from the High Road Strategy Center with more than two decades of experience researching low wage work and workforce development systems, and Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellow (Graduate Teaching). The team anticipates making five to seven sub-grant awards with a project maximum of $250,000 and an 18-month award period, to be announced in late spring 2025.