OUSD 'The Center'

“The Center” is the heart of Oakland Unified School District's new nutritional services program, the “Rethinking School Lunch” Master Plan. This initiative includes creating fresh, healthy meals to the over 30,000 students served by OUSD. It also aims to educate OUSD students on the processes behind the foods they eat, from agricultural production to waste management.

To achieve this “The Center” was created to include: a central kitchen, an education center and an urban farm. Built to teach by example, the farm provides for immersive hands-on experiences and interpretive green elements that provide flexibility for the educational program in a memorable place. The site program and composition is structured to support educational programs which emphasize STEM learning, farming, environmental science and vocational programing. Nestled into the urban fabric of West Oakland the farm serves the community and seeks to support OUSD’s goal of creating a district-wide culture that connects food, culture, ecology, health, wellness and education.

Project Information

Client: Oakland Unified School District with Center for Ecoliteracy

Location: Oakland, California

Photography: Caitlin Atkinson

Certification: CHPS

Size: 1.5 Acres