Nutrition Explorations: Cafeteria Marketing & Education: Cafeteria Promotions: World School Milk Day

Create a Healthier World

Celebrate the 10th Annual World School Milk Day (WSMD) on Wednesday, September 30!

What is it? An international, annual event that celebrates the importance of school milk in children's diets. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations actively supports and promotes it.

Who celebrates? Countries throughout the world! In the past, over 40 countries representing every continent celebrated, including Germany, India, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, China, Iceland, Finland, Croatia, Indonesia and Oman.

Why celebrate World School Milk Day? It's a way to focus on helping children make healthy beverage choices and to bring our world closer together, thereby raising children's global awareness.

What's more, both flavored and white milk provide calcium and eight other essential nutrients that growing children need. Research shows that children who drink milk at school are more likely to meet their daily nutrient needs. Milk provides three of the five nutrients the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize as being low in children's diets – calcium, magnesium and potassium.

How do other countries celebrate? Celebrations are unique to each country and involve children in a variety of ways. In previous years:

Children from across Australia entered a creative drawing, writing and photography contest. Winning entries were displayed at the Royal Melbourne Show and on Australia's Discover Dairy Web site.
State-wide School Milk Clubs were launched in various schools in Gujarat, India. Eighty schools also participated in a "Milky Way to a Stronger Nation" painting competition. The best three entries received prizes from this His Holy Highness, Lalji Maharaaj Shree Nrigendraprasadji.
Over 6,000 children in China participated in an online nutrition competition that had 15 percent of the questions related to milk.
Two daylong dairy carnivals in Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan used fun-filled activities that highlighted the benefits of drinking milk to launch a School Milk Ambassador Program.
In Zagreb, Croatia, children gathered in the main square to celebrate milk with pictures, songs, and milk and dairy foods tastings.
Milk was distributed to over 3,600 children in Oman.

How can you celebrate? Teachers and school nutrition professionals can promote World School Milk Day in the classroom and the cafeteria. Ideally, make it a school-wide day that involves school nutrition services, the school nurse, teachers, administrators, parents and the community.

School nutrition professionals can...

Use World School Milk Day to kick off new dairy programs, such as the New Look of School Milk or dairy vending.
Work with teachers on a "Milk Around the World Day." Invite classrooms to decorate the cafeteria with travel posters, beach ball globes, maps, etc.
Feature a special menu with children's popular, favorite international foods.
Learn more about School Nutrition Association's participation in Global Child Nutrition Forum and efforts to advance school feeding through problem-solving and communication with country leaders from a variety of nations.

Teachers can...

Work with school nutrition services and hold a "School Milk Around the World" day. Have children create "School Milk Around the World" posters for the cafeteria.
Have students taste flavored milk and graph their responses to determine children's favorites.
Teach Sir Milkford and Lady Holly's Milk Group Little D's Nutrition Expedition® activity.
Encourage children to drink milk at lunch and snack time.
Have older children investigate and compare different countries' school milk and nutrition programs.
Host a Milk Mustache photo shoot.
Download the Dairy Dazzling Calcium Carnival (PDF) brochure and organize a school-wide event.