Emily Johnson

Emily is from Victorville, California and graduated summa cum laude from Hastings College with degrees in political science and peace, justice and social change. After college, Emily served as a Bennett Fellow in Nashville where she lived in intentional community with social justice leaders and worked at Community Food Advocates, where she developed a more streamlined system for starting and sustaining community gardens. Emily helped implement a framework for a district-wide Farm to School program, providing an opportunity for all children to access local and nutritious food. As a student, Emily facilitated campus and community conversations on hunger, homelessness and environmental justice, interned with food justice and poverty alleviation nonprofits in Nebraska, Colorado and Western Kenya, and held several leadership positions, including Student Government President.

Field placement: United Way of King County

Seattle, Washington

Emily evaluated the impact of the newly-created Fuel Your Future initiative, a program that utilized AmeriCorps members in schools to increase participation in federally-funded child nutrition programs. She facilitated a focus group series where she gathered parental insight on school breakfast, community resources, and the lived experience of families in poverty in King County. Emily also worked with nutrition directors and national partners to better identify and overcome the barriers in adopting the Community Eligibility Provision, an amazing option for high-poverty schools to provide all students free school breakfast and lunch.

Policy placement: Food Research & Action Center

Washington, D.C.

At the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), Emily researched the connection between child food insecurity and school discipline. She collaborated with education and civil rights organizations to highlight how current disciplinary practices – that disproportionately affect students of color, LGBTQ students, and students with disabilities – also exacerbate food insecurity for students. Emily also continued her work with the Community Eligibility Provision by developing and disseminating best practices resources for eligible charter schools throughout the country.

Hunger Free Community Report

"The Community Eligibility Provision: Fueling the Future of Healthy Kids in King County" is a comprehensive guide to understanding the barriers, dispelling the misconceptions, and utilizing best practices for successful CEP implementation in the county. The report also includes recommendations for school districts, legislative and education state leaders, and the United Way of King County to encourage King County participation in this game-changing provision.

Publications