Students, Educators and Communities Celebrate World School Milk Day in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, students, educators and communities across California joined millions around the globe to celebrate World School Milk Day (WSMD), spotlighting milk’s role in student health, learning and agricultural literacy.

To mark the day, Dairy Council of California partnered with schools and media outlets to bring dairy’s story to life:

• Live on KCRA 3 Sacramento: Amy DeLisio, MPH, RDN, CEO of Dairy Council of California; Miranda Blagg, Mobile Dairy Classroom Instructor, with her heifer Daisy, and Michelle Drake, Director of Nutrition Services at Elk Grove Unified School District, shared the importance of milk in student meals and nutrition education during a morning segment.
• In Visalia: Hundreds of students at Linwood Elementary participated in lively Mobile Dairy Classroom assemblies featuring a two-year-old cow named Mocha. Students learned where their milk comes from, connected with local farmers, and even raised a “toast to the cow” with milk in hand. The principal and assistant principal joined the celebration, underscoring community support.
• Virtual Farm Tour: Some students tuned in for a special Spanish-Language Virtual Field Trip to celebrate World School Milk Day, engaging in an unforgettable virtual adventure. Dairy Council of California’s Virtual Farm Tour connects classrooms to a working dairy farm, helping students learn where their food comes from and how farmers care for cows.
• Across California: Schools used Dairy Council of California’s WSMD Toolkit and joined the statewide School Milk Shoutout, sharing photos and videos with the hashtag #SchoolMilkShoutout to showcase their creative celebrations.

Across the globe, World School Milk Day highlights milk’s unique role in nourishing children. Milk provides a powerful package of essential nutrients like calcium, protein and vitamins that support both physical growth and cognitive development. School milk programs deliver these nutrients where they are needed most, helping to build the foundation for lifelong health and well-being.

“World School Milk Day is an opportunity to unite schools and communities in recognizing the nutritional value milk provides to students,” said Amy DeLisio, MPH, RDN, CEO of Dairy Council of California. “By celebrating milk in schools, we shine a light on the importance of school meals in nourishing children, setting them up for lifelong success.”

Beyond the day’s celebrations, resources such as the WSMD Toolkit offer schools year-round opportunities to engage students in nutrition and agricultural literacy. These and other materials are available at DairyCouncilofCA.org/WSMD.

About Dairy Council of California
Since 1919, Dairy Council of California has been a trusted nutrition organization committed to elevating the health of children and communities. Through education, advocacy, and multisector collaboration, the organization promotes lifelong healthy eating patterns and advances the role of milk and dairy foods in improving nutrition security and supporting sustainable food systems.

Media Contact:
Malynda Parsons
Communications Manager
Dairy Council of California
916-633-9333 | mparsons@dairycouncilofca.org