What is Sea to Schools?
Seas to Schools is a pilot program that CFCRI is working on in partnership with multiple other local organizations (please see the complete list below) to help bring local and sustainable seafood into local K-12 schools. The hope with this is to provide sustainable and healthy protein to school districts, including those in low-income communities, and help increase local demand and market sustainability for Rhode Island fishermen.
The long-term goals for this project include:
The long-term goals for this project include:
- Increasing awareness of the economically and culturally important fishing industry
- Instilling lasting diet changes to encourage the acceptability of local seafood
- Building a mechanism for schools to procure a variety of local seafood products readily
What are the students eating?
Regarding the actual product, the program currently uses one product: Monkfish Sliders. The sliders are approximately three-ounce patties provided by Tony’s Seafood in Warren, RI. Monkfish is a white meat with a sweet flavor often compared to lobster. This species is directly sourced from Rhode Island Fishermen.
As of May 2025, five separate schools have tried the Monkfish Sliders (all schools listed below in no specific order), and the hope is to increase this number in the upcoming 2025 - 2026 school year. It should be noted that each school served the product to their students in different fashions, including burgers, tacos, and tostadas.
As of May 2025, five separate schools have tried the Monkfish Sliders (all schools listed below in no specific order), and the hope is to increase this number in the upcoming 2025 - 2026 school year. It should be noted that each school served the product to their students in different fashions, including burgers, tacos, and tostadas.
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Participating Schools:
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Why try this in Rhode Island?
This pilot program will benefit not only the children but also the Rhode Island seafood industry, because it increases awareness among the young generations in addition to appreciation to what is found in our local waters. Currently, there is a disconnect between the seafood being harvested in Rhode Island and the local community, as most of the seafood harvested in the state is shipped elsewhere, and what seafood is consumed by local individuals is imported from elsewhere. The hope is to address the disconnect occurring in the state by starting with the youngest generations.
What are the Benefits for ...
Schools Districts:
K-12 students will benefit from this program because they will be provided with a healthy and local source of protein, and because this product is available all year round, easily prepared by school staff, and is provided at a low price.
The Fishing Industry:
The fishing industry faced some difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the dropping market value of monkfish. This program guarantees an above-market value price point that allows for the value of monkfish to increase to a sustainable level. In addition, this program gives the industry the ability to expand sales channels and begin to diversify available revenue streams, which in turn will help strengthen the resilience of the sector.
K-12 students will benefit from this program because they will be provided with a healthy and local source of protein, and because this product is available all year round, easily prepared by school staff, and is provided at a low price.
The Fishing Industry:
The fishing industry faced some difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the dropping market value of monkfish. This program guarantees an above-market value price point that allows for the value of monkfish to increase to a sustainable level. In addition, this program gives the industry the ability to expand sales channels and begin to diversify available revenue streams, which in turn will help strengthen the resilience of the sector.