Dynamic Communication for School Lunch Menus: Rise Vision in Redwood City Schools

In a recent interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Abigail Rodriguez, an account specialist for the child nutrition department at Redwood City School District. Abigail shared valuable insights into how Rise Vision has become an integral part of their strategy to improve communication around school nutrition.

Redwood City School District, located in California, has deployed Rise Vision across its 14 schools to communicate the healthy school lunch offerings to its students.

Abigail Rodriguez serves as an account specialist for the child nutrition department at Redwood City District. Her role involves handling the accounting side of child nutrition and managing technology like Rise Vision.

Paper Menus Were Ineffective for Communicating Lunch Menus

The school district faced a common challenge related to communicating daily menus and important information to students. Abigail explained, "We used to have these paper signs, and it wasn't working." The traditional approach of using paper signs was not effective in capturing the attention of students. Printing daily menus is also more labor intensive, and is not an easy feat to manage when managing menus across multiple school sites. 

The decision was made to adopt Rise Vision. After its deployment, Abigail became the champion of the system and now manages the lunch menu displays across the district.

Attention-Grabbing School Lunch Menus

Abigail highlighted how Rise Vision has become a dynamic tool for conveying daily menus and relevant information to students. The transition from paper signs to vibrant digital displays has garnered positive feedback, with students now actively engaging with the content.

Using Rise Vision digital signage, the school district has displays strategically placed in front of the “speed line”, where the students enter the cafeteria. The lunch menu and nutrition information is the first thing they see when they enter the lunch room. With attention grabbing designs, Abigail is able to get the student’s attention so they can efficiently place their lunch order.

More Than Just Menus & Nutrition Information

Redwood City School District's use case stands out due to its scale and the multifaceted approach to communication. Abigail wears multiple hats, managing not only the nutritional aspect but also incorporating Rise Vision for displaying:

• Upcoming events
• Special months like Black History Month and Lunar New Year
• Important announcements

Abigail's experience with Rise Vision provides valuable insights for other schools looking to enhance communication and engagement:

• Digital Over Paper - The transition from traditional paper signs to dynamic digital displays significantly improved student engagement.
• Multifunctional Usage - Rise Vision isn't just limited to nutrition communication. Schools can leverage it for a variety of purposes, including promoting events and celebrating diversity.
• Consistent Updates - Regular updates are crucial to keeping content fresh and maintaining student interest. Abigail mentioned that she regularly updates the lunch menus with new pictures and colors to ensure students are looking.

How Can Schools use Digital Signage to Support Child Nutrition?

Schools can use digital signage as a powerful tool to support child nutrition in various ways:

• Engaging Content - Digital signage allows schools to create visually appealing and dynamic displays for sharing daily or weekly lunch menus. The use of vibrant colors and graphics captures students' attention, making it more likely that they will notice and remember the information.
• Timely Updates - Digital signage enables quick and easy updates to menus and nutrition-related content. Schools can adapt to changes, such as introducing new meals or adjusting schedules, ensuring that students receive accurate and up-to-date information.
• Promoting Healthy Choices - Beyond menus, digital signage provides an opportunity to promote healthy eating habits. Schools can use the platform to share educational content about the nutritional value of different foods, encouraging students to make healthier food choices.

3 Ways Rise Vision Makes Nutrition Digital Signage Even Easier

Here are 3 ways that Rise Vision makes displaying engaging nutrition content even easier!

1. Make updating your lunch menus a breeze by connecting one of the lunch menu templates to your Google Calendar. Updates are automatically pulled from your calendar into your template.
2. Partnerships with company's like Health-e Pro who specialize in menu planning for schools. If your school uses Health-e Pro for school nutrition, simply embed your lunch menu and schedule it through Rise Vision. 
   
3. Share healthy eating and nutrition information for your audience with our auto-updating Nutrition Facts or Facts About Food & Nutrition templates.

The Redwood City School District's success story shows how Rise Vision can be a valuable ally in promoting child nutrition by providing a modern, dynamic, and efficient means of communication. From displaying menus to promoting healthy habits and celebrating special events, digital signage enhances the overall experience of students and ensures they stay informed about their nutritional choices.