Project: Boston Prep Cultural Nutrition Program (P-003)
Project Summary
Northeast foods (dba Burger King) and Finard Properties opened a Burger King across the street from Boston Preparatory Charter. Surrounding neighborhood organizations and Boston Preparatory Charter School are opposed to the operation of this Fast Food restaurant because they believe that the Burger King directly harms the health and well being of the students of color who predominantly attend the school.
Introducing the African diaspora cultural competency to the equation is meant to make the school provided meals more appealing to the student. Cultural nutrition is a healthy alternative for a school that is 97% youth of color. Boston preparatory has had a history of unpopular food offered to the students. Credit is deserved to the Boston Preparatory Charter School leadership for taking this issue seriously. They have undergone serious upgrades to the food service including from scratch food service.
In order to combat the health concerns cited by Dr. Sara Bleich, a professor of public health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in this Boston.com article on this Burger King. We have embarked on a journey to provide the counter narrative to the Hyde Park Burger King to the students of Boston Preparatory Charter School. Promoting healthier food options and giving the students and their families options and access to resources in cultural nutrition.
Study results for Fast Food (Burger) Proximity in miles from Boston Prep and other Greater Boston Schools.
Project Update
Cultural Nutrition Program in progress at Boston Prep Charter School.
More information coming soon.
The students have only a 2.5 minutes walk from the school to Burger King (door to door).
FACT: Burger King is closer to school than the school sports field.
Theory of change
With study, research and development of this project communities can be empowered to achieve cultural nutrition goals for their students. Communities of color are multicultural communities made up of people who have diversely different backgrounds and cuisines. This project is designed to increase the popularity of cultural cuisine, create cultural harmony through education and improve the health of our students.
Project goal
Ensuring that these heathier culturally appropriate meals are readily available as part of a larger educational focus on multiculturalism is the goal of this project.
To provide the study, research and development to facilitate a culturally competent food service in communities of color in Boston, MA.
In this case, proximity of unhealthy food and marketing to the school directly harms the health and well being of the students of Boston Preparatory Charter School and should be countered with positive messaging.