Visual Inspiration

Instructions

Time Considerations:  Time needed to print out visual assets; implementing time really depends on whether this is a facilitated activity or something students can do on their own in which case it can be quite fast

Materials Needed: Print-outs, drawing material, jars, posters, jars, etc.

Participants: You and your team, all students or a subset

Step One

Figure out what you are trying to test in this activity. Did you see a dish on TikTok that you think your kids will like? Or suggestions from your staff about new menu items? Or an interest in understanding what excites your students in general? Is there a key upcoming milestone or deadline that this feedback can help you achieve?

Step Two

Determine where in your school or cafeteria space would be the most effective place for this activity and select a visual that appeals to you. Ideas include:

• Create a bulletin display for interactive voting or set up jars in popular hangout locations throughout the school grounds.

• Have students highlight their preferences with stickers or filling jars with marbles, smiley faces, etc. Try using a world map with highlighted countries for kids to vote on food they might like to try.

• Ask students to vote on more playful choices (like a Batman jar vs. a Robin jar), TikTok food trends, etc. as well as more relevant choices (like Broccoli vs Carrots).

• Ask students to draw their ideal meal or school food experience, possibly starting with a drawing of their worst for comparison. This can be done in a focus group, with a class, or at cafeteria tables.

• If you have a more engaged group of students, ask them to collect pictures in a collage in response to general questions like, “What I like about my favorite places is….” or “What is it like to get food at school…”

  Utilize sites like Canva to create your own signage, social media posts, menus and more that feel pulled together and professional.

Step Three

Officially close the feedback period by a date established at the outset and discuss the results with your team. Try to post or announce the results in a public place along with how you plan to respond. This will go a long way towards building trust with students.

Tools

Need help downloading and using the tools? Visit our how-to guide.