Elementary Schools Host Think Rice Day

ARLINGTON, VA -- Last month, more than 15,000 elementary students in the New York Tri-state area took part in Think Rice Day.  Over multiple lunch periods, students learned about U.S.-grown rice, consumed new rice dishes, and received Think Rice giveaways.

Each participating school received large cafeteria posters on the different varieties of U.S.-grown rice, multiple classroom posters covering where rice is grown and health benefits, and a combination of Think Rice promotional items that included branded pencils, pens, stickers, and coloring books.

“These school promotions are a great opportunity for USA Rice to teach students and faculty the importance of U.S. rice in a fun and casual environment, while initiating important relationships with school foodservice decision-makers,” said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotion manager.  ”To reach 15,000 students with one event on one day is phenomenal!  We plan to host similar events in four schools in Pennsylvania in early March that will reach 2,000 more elementary students.”
 
School Operation Services Group’s Food Service Supervisor Kendall Stokes reached out to USA Rice and helped coordinate the event in conjunction with the Institutional Commodity Service (ICS) organization which supplies schools and institutions in the New York Tri-state area.  

"Our schools were very excited to take part in the Think Rice promotion,” said Christopher Harris, Food Service Operations Manager of NY ICS.  “Our student demographic has strong roots in the Afro-Caribbean culture, and we paired the brown rice with one of our popular meals of oven roasted chicken pieces, steamed carrots, and rice and beans with a Afro-Caribbean twist.  The staff supervisors passed out the pens, pencils, and stickers during the lunch periods as students learned about the U.S. rice industry.  It was a great success and we really appreciate it."