TaMya Romero, a junior at Putnam Academy in the Design and Visual Arts program, created the winning logo design for the new $21 million culinary program, Home Grown Springfield

The student-created name and logo for the new Springfield Public Schools culinary and nutrition program, Home Grown Springfield, was revealed recently at an event held at Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy. The winning brand was created by Putnam junior TaMya Romero, who, along with over 70 fellow students in Putnam’s Design and Visual Arts program, participated in the project to name the program. Home Grown Springfield will be housed in a new $21 million state-of-the-art culinary and nutrition facility currently under construction on Cadwell Drive.

Romero was surprised at the brand reveal event with a $1,000 prize presented to her by representatives of Sodexo, the SPS food service provider that will manage the new program. Romero will be entering her senior year next fall at Putnam and recently participated in the Art All-State competition.

Upon revealing her winning brand design, Romero said, “The idea that I got for my logo originally came from the Chili’s chain restaurant logo. I really liked the idea that they used a chili as the apostrophe, and that’s why I decided to use a fork for the ‘M’ in the name of the program.”

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick, Springfield Public Schools’ Chief Financial and Operations Officer Pat Roach and other representatives of SPS and Sodexo joined Putnam Academy Visual Arts students who participated in the project at the event to reveal the winning design. Design and Visual Arts Program instructors Jeff Scott and Bob Farrell coordinated the project with students that included freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

According to Mark Jeffrey, District Manager for Sodexo, “We wanted to engage the students in the branding of this program. This is their program, we want them to feel ownership of the program, and Home Grown Springfield will be the face of the SPS culinary and nutrition program for generations to come.”

Mark Jeffrey, District Manager for Sodexo, presents a $1,000 check to TaMya Romero for her winning Home Grown Springfield design.

The design project and engagement of Putnam students was initiated by Paul Robbins Associates Strategic Communications, the agency engaged to assist in promoting and engaging the school community and broader public around the new program and its benefits to Springfield students and families.

The first-of-its-kind culinary center in Massachusetts, the newly-branded program will operate in the new Cadwell Drive Springfield facility, preparing and providing meals to over 30,000 students every day. The new facility will employ 300 people once it opens in January 2019.

Sodexo has a 10-year agreement with SPS and recently won a five-year renewal, allowing for an expansion of the in-school meals program and requiring the move to new and larger facilities.