The Center
The Oakland Unified School District Central Kitchen, Instructional Farm, and Education Center (called "The Center") is the hub of the new district-wide school food program network that connects nutrition, education, and community programs at OUSD's schools, kitchens, and gardens. Doors opened in August 2021. The Center at 2850 West Street houses our Nutrition Services Department Offices, Central Kitchen, Warehouse, and Office of Community and Education Programming.
The Central Kitchen & Warehouse
This facility currently supports food production every day for OUSD's 34,000 students in preschool through high school. For the sites that do not have the capacity to cook on campus, our Central Kitchen currently prepares approximately 75,000 meals per week, including breakfasts, lunches, snacks and suppers (a.k.a. “Super Snacks”). The Center's warehouse also provides meal ingredients, small wares, paper goods, and other supplies used in every school cafeteria. Nutrition Services staff from school sites and the Central Kitchen receive training at the Center in our teaching kitchen and classrooms.
Office of Community and Education Programming
In addition to providing healthy meals for OUSD students, The Center offers inspiring opportunities to engage students in standards-based experiential learning, hold professional learning for staff and offer programming around our Environment, Food and Garden (EFG) framework, rooted in equity and justice. Please contact Michelle Oppen with inquiries regarding programs.
