Lived Experience: Bethany’s School Lunch Story

Coalition member, EdAllies, sits down with a Minnesota student, Bethany, as she reflects on her experience with school lunch and, unfortunately, lunch shaming. As an elementary school students, Bethany qualified for free and reduced price lunch at her school. She remembers when her mom wasn’t able to put money into her account - this meant she was served a cold lunch and water instead of her school’s Friday lunch special like everyone else. Bethany notes this was her first memory, in first grade, feeling anxiety and feeling other’d.