Middletown Public Schools is located in Middletown, is a city of 48,000 people located in the middle of the state. The city itself is forty-two square miles and includes a mix of rural, urban, and suburban areas. The city’s downtown area boasts many tasty restaurants, bookstores, and theaters.

Middletown Public Schools consists of 11 schools: 8 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high school, and 1 transition academy. The district serves just under 5,000 students, 28% of whom are Black or African American, 51% of whom are Hispanic or Latinx, and 18% of whom are White. As a district, all students receive free meals through the community eligibility provision. The FoodCorps program is overseen by a partnership between a school principal, and the food services department. Many other partners across Middletown and Middletown Public Schools are also involved with initiatives that support FoodCorps programming. This includes but is not limited to: 21st Century After School Programming, Middlesex Health, Middlesex Coalition for Children, The Middletown Farmers’ Market, Community Health Center Inc., and Saint Vincent de Paul.

The vision of the school district is to unlock the potential of ALL students. The district hopes to propel ALL students into higher education, provide the necessary skills to enhance an ever changing workforce, and lament the core knowledge students need to become engaged members of the community.

Corps members with Middletown Public Schools will work as a team to increase food education and school meal goals. Food Education Corps Members will work closely with school principals, school-teachers, and afterschool program staff to teach students about the joy and power of food on a daily basis. School Nutrition Corps Member based in the district food service office. They will be responsible for collecting and digesting feedback about school meals from across the district, as well as supporting school supper. School Nutrition Corps Members will support the taste-tests that the Food Education Corps Members implement at their respective schools, and make sure that data is collected to inform future menu items.

FoodCorps members at this site are part of a Connecticut cohort of members, and with the small geography of the state, members can frequently collaborate in person. These members are creating powerful relationships with the wide variety of organizations and individuals that make up the networks addressing food systems change across the state and region. Serving in Connecticut means you are part of a close-knit FoodCorps team, enjoy ample opportunity for a wide range of professional development, and have the chance to make a huge impact in the state with the second-highest income disparity in the nation. The FoodCorps CT cohort is part of a much larger network of organizations and agencies dedicated to farm-to-school work, including, but not limited to: the University of Connecticut, CT State Department of Education, CT Department of Agriculture, CT Department of Public Health, Common Ground, CT Farm to School Collaborative, Keney Park Sustainability Project, Brigaid, New England Dairy, and New Britain ROOTS.