Pantry-Equipped Classrooms: Why Food Access Impacts Trade School Learning Outcomes
A lot of great work is being done to ensure kids in elementary and high school have access to healthy, affordable meals, but students in higher education are often overlooked when it comes to accessible, nutritional foods and snacks, despite being at high risk for food insecurity.
To help increase awareness of this disconnect and offer a solution, research published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute concludes that targeted, multicomponent food programs must reach post-secondary school students if they’re to achieve success during college and in the future.
At InReach, we know that a well-stocked on-campus pantry positively impacts learning, motivation, and academic outcomes, and we offer custom-tailored pantry services to meet student needs, whether they’re in college or trade school. We work closely with our partners in higher education to make chef-inspired meals as well as a diverse array of sweet and salty snacks, premium brews, cold brews, teas, kombucha, and other on-trend foods and beverages, part of the higher learning experience.
Students in the Trades: How Accessible Food Fuels Success
A recent Hope Center study found that 45% of 86,000 community college students that participated in a 2019 survey were food insecure. Since many trade school programs are offered at community colleges, this data can be used as a reference point for planning an effective, student-focused pantry service at your college.
Students can’t be at their best when they’re distracted by hunger. Those in the trades often find it especially difficult to carve out time for proper meals or snacks when they’re juggling full class schedules, hands-on labs, and part-time or full-time work. This lack of access often leads to grabbing carb-heavy, nutrient-light fast foods or skipping meals altogether and running on caffeine and sheer determination to power through.
The classroom pantry service at InReach is specifically designed to give students easy access to what they need without ever having to leave the campus. With fully stocked pantries in place, they can grab a quick snack to refuel between classes or when they’re out the door and on their way to work. A healthy wrap, a fresh juice or kombucha, and a quick chat with classmates offer moments of both nourishment and connection that can make a big difference in their academic performance and their morale.
Here’s what an InReach pantry includes:
- Modern-designed spaces that encourage connection and socialization.
- A variety of energizing, on-trend snacks, meals, and local favorites to fuel productivity.
- Easy access to healthy food and drink options when time is short.
To help ensure you succeed at helping your students succeed, we offer a survey program that polls students and those using the pantry to learn what their favorites are so we can meet their expectations, together.
The High-Tech Advantage
With ease of access to nutritious meals, snacks, and treats the name of the game, InReach makes it simple for you to manage your pantry and its inventory. Our office pantry services are tech-integrated to offer online ordering for the management teams, digital tools to monitor budgets and interpret spending habits, and back-end inventory analysis that makes ordering and restocking a breeze. These innovations make pantry services on campus efficient and reliable.
Collaborative Planning for On-Point Outcomes
At InReach, you know what you’re getting: a transparent, solutions-driven team of experts committed to helping you create welcoming spaces for your students and faculty.
When prospective students see you’ve taken the food scene at your campus to the next level with an inviting office pantry, it reflects positively on your institution, your programs, and your leadership.
Buying Power With Torque
As part of the global food service and facilities management company Sodexo, we enjoy incredible buying power, which in turn keeps your costs low. We prioritize sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the health and wellness of the people we serve, leaving nothing to chance when designing your pantry program.
Is it time to transform your trade school’s breakroom area into something really special? Get in touch with the InReach team, and together we’ll put the healthy, delicious meals and snacks your students need to be their best in reach.