Got ideas? School program serves as model

A yearly class project at a Tennessee high school serves as a model for increasing demand for milk at schools in the Southeast.

Students in the culinary arts and graphic arts programs at Loudon High School in east Tennessee develop a promotion campaign to increase sales from the school's milk vending machine. The machine, which was purchased in part with a $2,000 grant from SUDIA, is used by the culinary arts students to raise money.

Student teams hold meetings and develop a two-week campaign that includes announcements, student surveys, special incentives and milk-mustache posters created by aspiring graphic artists.

This year, the students competed in a contest for the best poster, with the winner, Jered Collins, earning $50.

While graphic arts students worked on the announcements and posters, culinary arts students baked cookies to give away with milk purchases. Meanwhile, SUDIA sent giveaways to be used for the promotions.

"They love it. They get so excited," said graphic arts teacher Kris Peterson. "We have members of the faculty asking to have posters made of them."

All the work pays off. Vended milk sales have increased nearly 80 percent.

"We had a feeling it would work" Peterson said. "We didn’t know it would be that good. It was way more than I had expected."

The program will serve as an example for other schools.

"We think other schools will see this, and want to emulate it," said Janet Grubbs, SUDIA’S director of communications and nutrition. "It’s a fun project that teaches students valuable life skills in graphic design, business and nutrition."

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