NEW! Discover our School Food Policy Action Map and take action for school meals for all. Explore your state.

Skip to content

FOLCS | Food Operators & Leaders of Color in Schools

FOLCS members in front of a sign that says "Three Sisters Garden"

A network of leaders of color working in school nutrition

FoodCorps’ Food Operators & Leaders of Color in Schools (FOLCS, pronounced like “folks”) community provides opportunities for AmeriCorps service members, alumni, and school nutrition professionals, as well as those aspiring to careers in this field, to connect around leadership development, mentorship, and networking. Sign up to join FOLCS today!

Three members of FOLCS standing in front of sunflowers, smiling

Our Goal for FOLCS

We created this network in response to the need for staff of color working in school nutrition to feel seen, heard, and valued—an essential step in promoting equity in schools. FoodCorps—alongside our partners—believes we must make an intentional effort to increase diversity in school nutrition, especially among professionals who have decision-making responsibilities, in order to best serve all students, families, and school communities. Through this growing network, we hope that you’ll find a supportive community of leaders of color in school nutrition and join us in our mission: to ensure all kids have access to food education and nourishing food in schools. 

About Our Journey

Since the creation of FOLCS in 2020, we’ve held a series of events to learn from our peers and colleagues about what they would like to see from this program. Here’s some of what we’ve done so far to engage our community:

  • Star inside circle

    Conducted six workshops on leadership, career development, and equity

  • Star inside circle

    Held a spring 2021 convening on Equity Leadership, including an interactive culinary demonstration

  • Star inside circle

    Launched a mentorship program in fall 2021, connecting school nutrition veterans with folks just starting in the field

  • Star inside circle

    Convened school nutrition professionals to develop a framework for culturally relevant school meal

  • Star inside circle

    Held the FOLCS Kindred Gathering in June 2023 as an in-person opportunity to connect, learn, and build a vision for a just and sustainable future in school food

FOLCS-Group3-PY24
Three members of FOLCS stand together, smiling


FoodCorps alumni Janelle, Kelli, and Stephanie at the FOLCS Kindred Gathering in June 2023.

Ready to Join Us? Sign Up Now!

When you sign up, you’ll be the first to hear about upcoming FOLCS events and opportunities. You’ll also be invited to join our private LinkedIn group, just for FOLCS members. 

FOLCS is a group for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color professionals only. If this is not you, you can sign up for other FoodCorps opportunities here.

Sign Up for FOLCS

Upcoming Events

Ready to get involved? Make sure you’re signed up for FOLCS to receive links and updates on additional upcoming opportunities.

April 25, 11am PST – “Food Allergies through the Lens of Equity and Inclusion” with Angela Gomez, RDN, SNS

July 14-16 – Join FOLCS at the Annual Nutrition Conference in Boston, MA! FoodCorps’ School Nutrition Leadership team will be presenting a session titled, “How to Center Equity in School Meals.”

Have questions? Email us at folcs@foodcorps.org.

Sign Up to Join FOLCS