Every year, the Sitka Conservation Society coordinates a donation drive, working with fishermen, processors, and the Sitka School District, Mount Edgecumbe High School and other local schools to provide local, wild fish for Sitka youth. Our annual We Love Our Fishermen lunch provides further opportunities to strengthen community connections between youth and fishermen.
The mission of the Fish to Schools program is to deepen youth understanding of the local ecosystem and economy by integrating local seafood - namely salmon and rockfish - into school lunches, teaching “stream to plate” curricula, and fostering a connection to local fishing culture. As a founding partner, we believe that students should learn about and have access to nutritious, culturally-relevant local food that is intrinsic to our community identity. Integrating local foods into school lunch programs also improves regional food security, and decreases our dependence on factory meats that are shipped in from out of state.
Check out our "Guide to Serving Fish in School Cafeterias" and our "Fish to Schools Classroom Lessons". You can also find our Fish to Schools briefing page for more information about the program.