By Lisa Castrichini, ASU sustainable food systems graduate student
The second annual Model USDA was held in person and brought together hundreds of students from across the United States and its territories. I had the honor of playing the role of a journalist, covering Scenario B: Expanding nutrition education to schools nationwide. In this scenario, Congress had passed the Food and Nutrition Education Act of 2021. One thing I’ve learned since beginning my studies at the Swette Center is that passing a law is just the beginning. The students in Scenario B were tasked with drafting the rules to implement the law, turning legislative language into actionable programs that could directly impact schools and communities.
The Food and Nutrition Education Act was a bipartisan effort, led by Democratic Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey and Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas. The bill aims for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to launch a pilot program that enables local schools to hire full-time, qualified food and nutrition educators while funding evidence-based interventions, such as school gardens, cooking classes, and hands-on nutrition experiences. These programs are designed to give students practical skills, increase their understanding of healthy food, and help build lifelong healthy habits.
The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, passed into law in 2025, left nutrition education out in the cold. Funding for SNAP-Ed, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s educational component, was cut. Many states were left without programs that teach kids about healthy eating and food literacy. While philanthropic organizations have stepped in to fill some gaps, their reach is limited, and federal funding is essential to ensure that all schools across the country can provide consistent, high-quality nutrition education. The Food and Nutrition Education Act represents a critical opportunity to restore and expand this vital work.
At Model USDA 2026, students took on roles as stakeholders, such as food industry representatives. Others played members of the taskforce, including USDA officials, federal agency staff, and politicians. As a journalist, I interviewed several students and was impressed to learn that one had even reached out to the real person they were role-playing for advice. Many students were experiencing policy work for the first time, and their engagement made the discussions lively and dynamic.
As the students worked through rulemaking, they encountered real-world complexities that policymakers face every day. When a bill is passed, it often contains few specifics, leaving federal agencies to define the details. The taskforce quickly discovered this when an early proposal used the word “regions,” which stakeholders pointed out would exclude U.S. territories. They also received strong feedback about the omission of summer programs, a requirement explicitly stated in the bill. Surprisingly, some stakeholders even asked who would be teaching the program, despite the bill clearly specifying full-time staff. These discussions highlighted the importance of clear policy language and the challenge of translating law into effective programs.
The students collaborated to develop the details of the program, creating a pilot that would allow one state per region, up to 10-15 schools, to receive funding. Their idea involved USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service overseeing the program and establishing the Child Nutrition Research Partnership to work with stakeholders to develop evidence-based curriculum. This approach emphasizes evaluation, research, and the use of proven methods to improve student outcomes. The pilot program is designed to provide both accountability and flexibility, ensuring that schools can adapt interventions to their local context while meeting the goals of the law.
I noticed that students were genuinely invested in the outcomes of their work and thoughtful about how programs could be inclusive and effective. Outside of my studies, I am a health educator and have spent many hours teaching kids about nutrition. The President of the National Dairy Council wanted to speak with me. I expected to encounter bias, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the dairy industry is conducting research to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, optimize water usage, and improve water quality.
Model USDA gives students the freedom to ask questions, work together, and really dive into the process. It reminded me how much I’ve grown since starting my Master of Science in sustainable food systems and why hands-on, collaborative learning matters. Who knows, maybe one of the students in Scenario B will become a future Secretary of Agriculture.
This blog is part of a series written by Arizona State University (ASU) graduate students who role-played as journalists in Model USDA 2026, a multi-day simulation hosted by the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at ASU.