P-CCS Awarded $93,500 USDA Grant to Launch Innovative HARVEST Hub Project

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (P-CCS) is proud to announce that its Food & Nutrition Services Department has been awarded a $93,500 Innovation Hub Spark Grant to launch the HARVEST Hub Project, an innovative initiative designed to strengthen local food systems while enhancing student wellness, sustainability, and community engagement.

Funded through the USDA Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative and administered by the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, the grant was awarded through a highly competitive, multi-state selection process spanning Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The award recognizes P-CCS as a leader in developing creative, scalable solutions that connect school meals, local agriculture, student learning, and community partnerships with organizations such as Gateway Farm and Make Food Not Waste.

The initiative will create new opportunities to make school meals more local, nutritious, sustainable, and connected to the communities they serve.

Through the HARVEST Hub Project, P-CCS will:

• Increase access to Michigan-grown foods in school meals.
• Expand opportunities for local farmers and food businesses to partner with schools.
• Create student learning experiences focused on agriculture, nutrition, sustainability, and food systems careers.
• Reduce food waste through assessment, prevention strategies, education, and community partnerships.
• Increase student and family involvement in school meal planning and food system decision-making.
• Strengthen connections between nutrition, academic achievement, wellness, sustainability, and community values.

“This award reflects P-CCS’s ongoing commitment to innovation, student wellness, and meaningful community partnerships,” said Kayla McDaniel, Director of Food & Nutrition Services for P-CCS. “We are incredibly grateful to the USDA and the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub for selecting P-CCS as a grant recipient. Through HARVEST, we will create new opportunities for students to connect with healthy food, learn about local agriculture and sustainability, and play an active role in shaping the future of school nutrition.”

While the project will be led by the Food & Nutrition Services Department, HARVEST is designed to engage educators, Career and Technical Education programs, curriculum leaders, administrators, students, families, and community partners across the district by integrating food systems education, wellness initiatives, sustainability efforts, and student voice.