• CHARTWELLS EXPERIENCE

    The Chartwells Experience brings nutrition education and culinary expertise from the café into the classroom. Chartwells K12, the food service provider for Duval County Public Schools, invites you to explore the many opportunities we have to offer your students.

    To check availability and request one of our Chartwells Experience activities, please fill out this online form. Please note that most programs are best for student groups of 50 or less.

    Image of our dietitian teaching elementary students about MyPlate in the classroom Classroom Nutrition Education
    Chartwells K12 registered dietitians teach interactive nutrition education lessons on topics such as the food focus of the month, whole grains, MyPlate, food waste or other preferred topics as requested by the teacher.

    Sports Nutrition Program
    The Chartwells K12 Sports Nutrition Program aims to teach high school student-athletes how to fuel their bodies and minds in our school café and beyond. Research shows that well-planned nutrition and hydration strategies can have significant impacts on athletic performance. Our program uses science-based nutrition education and is led by our very own registered dietitians.  This program can be tailored to fit the needs of your athletic team but can consist of 1-3 interactive nutrition education lessons, healthy food sampling, chef-led cooking demonstrations, etc. This program is intended for high school athletes. Group size is limited to one athletic team per lesson.

    Discovery Kitchen
    Discovery Kitchen is our food and nutrition education program that brings delicious food to life through activities and events for students who are hungry to both eat and learn! Our experienced and knowledgeable chefs come to schools for a hands-on cooking demonstration to teach students about healthy eating habits, meal preparation and encourage them to explore new types of foods.

    Image of two chefs helping two elementary girl students plant herbs in a garden Farm to School
    Through the farm-to-school program, students can gain access to healthy, local foods, as well as learning opportunities, including school gardens, cooking demonstrations, nutrition and wellness education, and farm field trips. Farm to school visits are best suited for classroom-sized groups of students in grades 1-4.

    • Get to Know the Grower - We bring local farmers into the classroom to educate students about food, nutrition, agriculture, and environmental stewardship. We hope to introduce students to new fruits and vegetables, as well as show how buying local is a great way to get fresh produce and connect with our community.
    • Field Trips – We connect schools with local farms to see firsthand how produce is grown and harvested during farm field trips.

    Focus Groups
    Focus Groups give our students a voice. We want our students to know that their thoughts and opinions matter to us, and we want to hear from them. This activity is best conducted with 20 students or less.

    Image of students before a tour of our facilities posing for a group photo wearing long white coats Nutrition Service Center Tours
    The Nutrition Service Center (NSC) is a 69,000 square foot central production facility serving the Duval County Public Schools Nutrition Program. The NSC produces school menu items – including muffins, cupped fruit, breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and more – in a quality-controlled environment and then transports them to the schools daily.

    We offer tours of the NSC at no cost to students, parents, and faculty within the district to help educate the community on the importance of our nutrition program. This behind-the-scenes tour allows visitors to see how food is produced, packaged and delivered to schools across the district. NSC tour groups are ideally classroom-sized or up to one bus of students per tour. 

    Food Trucks
    Influenced by current retail food trends and inspired by the flavors of Jacksonville, our food trucks are ready to fuel your students for a great day in and out of the classroom! Please contact your director of dining services to discuss options for food truck service at your school.