In 2006, MUSE school in Calabasas, California opened its doors as a nonprofit learning center with a focus on educating students about our shared responsibility to protect the planet. Factoring in the environmental degradation caused by a meat-centric diet, it’s fitting that the school will be rolling out an all-vegan menu this fall, making it the first vegan school in the US!

Founded by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of the Oscar-winning film director James Cameron, along with her sister Rebecca Amis, MUSE already has an active seed-to-table program where students help maintain learning gardens that also produce food for the cafeteria.

The switch to a 100% plant-based menu has been in the works for about a year and a half with the support of James Cameron. The decision reflects the values held strongly by both James and Suzy who became vegan after watching Forks Over Knives, a documentary that highlights the far-reaching impact our food choices have on our health and the health of the planet.

“You can’t really call yourself an environmentalist if you’re still consuming animals,” says Amis Cameron

According to James Cameron, “It’s about raising kids who don’t think it’s strange or exotic or worthy of a pat on the back to be doing the right thing for the living biosphere.”

The benefits associated with increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables are increasingly recognized, even in the proposed US Dietary Guidelines. In fact, a growing number of school cafeterias – from Los Angeles to Philadelphia – are adopting Meatless Mondays as a way to introduce students to new plant-based foods, and two public schools in New York City are now dishing out 100% vegetarian meals every day of the week.

Learn more about the many benefits of vegan eating — visit TryVeg.com today!