Social compassion in legislation

California Child Nutrition Act

Impact

CA Bill 558 passed into law
$100 million allocated to help schools procure plant-based and sustainable foods
$600 million secured to upgrade school kitchens and train staff to prepare healthier, plant-forward meals
Advocate speaking to camera in a support video for the California Child Nutrition Act

The Challenge

To pass a groundbreaking school food bill in California, Social Compassion in Legislation needed to amplify the voice of Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian and build public momentum across diverse audiences. The goal: to make plant-based and sustainable meals a priority in school cafeterias statewide.

Our Approach

We crafted an intergenerational narrative by partnering Assemblymember Nazarian with youth activist and influencer Genesis Butler. This transformed a policy initiative into a relatable human story engaging parents, students, and legislators and giving a face to the campaign. We provided media training and public speaking support for Genesis's state capitol press conference and secured additional content from celebrity advocates.

1 Campaign video

5 Celebrity support videos

10 hours media training.
Youth activist speaking at a podium in front of a large photo of a cow
VegNews article on California's $700 million investment in plant-based school meals
K-12 Dive article on schools expanding plant-based meal options
Advocate speaking at an animal rescue event in support of the campaign
California Child Nutrition Act campaign video still of a young advocate speaking to camera
Comic-style graphic: Social Compassion in Legislation welcomes Genesis Butler to its board
K-12 Dive article on schools expanding plant-based meal options
Social graphic of a press conference for a California bill to promote plant-based foods in schools

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