Students don’t just eat in the cafeteria.
They lead there.

We help student leaders turn cafeterias into spaces for participation, problem-solving, and real sustainability action—

while supporting schools and districts to grow capacity and scale what works.

Level Up Your Green Team

Explore Solutions for Schools

Cafeterias are one of the few places every student shows up.

We help schools use that moment to build leadership, not just reduce waste.

Who This Is For

For Student Leaders
Build confidence, recruit peers, and lead change that actually shows up at lunchtime.

For Advisors & Administrators
Support student leadership while aligning with sustainability goals, participation metrics, and long-term capacity building.

What we do

Climate Action Lab

Are you on a mission to crack a challenge your school is facing? A guided experience for students early in their cafeteria sustainability journey, where students test ideas, reflect on results, and build leadership skills that transfer beyond one project or program.

Explore the Climate Action Lab

Green Team

Strategy Sessions

Students learn how to grow their existing teams, communicate their message, and activate more participation—starting in the cafeteria.

Learn about Teaming Up

Spotlight Our Schools

We amplify student leadership stories so schools can share what’s working—and inspire others to try it.

See Student Stories

Experts Visioning Collaborative

The Cafeteria Victories Experts Visioning Collaborative brings together district sustainability leaders and community partners working in cafeteria sustainability to share insights, troubleshoot challenges, and surface blind spots — with a specific focus on strategies that meaningfully engage students in the cafeteria.

Join your colleagues

University City HS Eco Lunches

"Mrs. Diaz was able to help us see things from the district perspective and convey how adults would want to see things." -Henry Jiang & Kai Trees

Cafeteria Victories supports student leadership in the cafeteria

helping schools expand participation, build skills, and connect student action to lasting systems change.

I had the honor of working with Sarah when she came to my school site to help us establish and implement the "Love Food, Not Waste" program through San Diego Unified.

Sarah was communicative, organized, collaborative and goal oriented. First, she helped us analyze our existing structures for recycling, composting, food waste collection, and trash disposal. She led us in collecting data in regards to how much cafeteria food was being wasted each day as well as which types of food was not getting eaten. Next, she gathered and led student groups to be part of the process and established student agency and collective efficacy.

She was a collaborative leader who led with optimism and enthusiasm while keeping the core of her beliefs central to the work. She adapted the plan as we went to adjust to the specific needs of the site. I can't say enough about how professional, efficient, and pleasant Sarah was to work with.

Sally Viavada

Principal, Tierrasanta Elementary School

Ms. Diaz is
enthusiastic about the program, co-creates expectations in the cafeteria with students, administrators and
school staff, and is extremely enjoyable to work with.

Our cafeteria has reduced both milk and food waste because of her spearheading our Green Team.

One of Sarah's greatest strengths is her ability to engage and motivate others. She has a remarkable talent for communicating complex environmental concepts in a way that is accessible and inspiring to our elementary
students interested in the Green Team. Her enthusiasm for this program is contagious, and she has successfully rallied our school community to improve our cafeteria procedures to increase our sustainability.
Sarah is not only a leader but also a team player who works collaboratively with teachers, students, and parents to achieve common goals.

In addition to her professional skills, Sarah is a person of great integrity and compassion. She genuinely cares about the well-being of our planet and the future of our students. Her passion for making a positive impact is
evident in every project she undertakes.

Megan Blom

Associate Principal, Jerabek Elementary School

Original Connections and help:

Mrs. Diaz was originally one of our first contacts and helped us get on good terms with the district.

Potential errors/problems:

Mrs. Diaz helped to point things out that we forgot or missed.

A different perspective:

Just having someone look at it from a neutral/different perspective helped us realize how we might have to change or add something.

Overall, thank you for all of your help and input this year.

Sincerely,

Eco Lunches UC team

Eco Lunches UC Team

University City HS, San Diego USD

Get inspired with the latest Cafeteria Victories from leading Green Teams.

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Sep 11, 2025

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Dec 09, 2025

Leadership Unleashed: Inspiring Your Club Members to Take Charge

Jan 22, 2026

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Students don’t just eat in the cafeteria. They lead there.