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Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray

Science History Institute

        Happening NowLunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray Exhibition

Three girls eating at school, pictured in School Feeding: Its History and Practice at Home and Abroad (1913). — Three girls eating at school, pictured in *School Feeding: Its History and Practice at Home and Abroad* (1913) held in the library of the Science History Institute.

A lunchroom in early twentieth-century New York City, pictured in School Feeding: Its History and Practice at Home and Abroad (1913). — A lunchroom in early twentieth-century New York City, pictured in *School Feeding: Its History and Practice at Home and Abroad* (1913) held in the library of the Science History Institute.

Recipient

Grant Year 2023

Grant Amount $289,820

Status Active

Updated August 20, 2024

An exhibition examines the history of the US School Lunch Program and studies the influences of science and technology on conversations about state welfare, food quality, and childhood health. The project considers contemporary issues like school lunch debt, nutrition, and the exacerbation of food insecurity during COVID closures through touchpoints between science, public policy, and student perspectives. The exhibition includes interactive digital installations, animated projections, and immersive spaces recalling the school lunch experience, farms, laboratories, and kitchens, and an exterior exhibition along the Science History Institute's facade. Rebel Ventures, a healthy food business led by Philadelphia high school students, curates part of the exhibition and guides First Friday tours.

Visit the project website.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

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Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray Exhibition

Sep 27, 2024–Jan 30, 2026
Science History Institute
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

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Recipient

Science History Institute

Founded in 1982, the Science History Institute is dedicated to uncovering the hidden stories of the people responsible for significant scientific achievements and to illuminating the complex circumstances behind important moments of investigation and discovery. Through exhibitions, educational outreach, and other public program, the institute presents the history of science and technology with a focus on how science and society intersect.

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