If you are thinking about partnering with a chef, take advantage of the following free resources available for schools and for chefs :

1. Free webinar:"Chefs in Schools -Increasing Participation and gaining renewed excitement around your school meals program"

• Hear from Chef Tom French, Director of the Experience Food Project in Langley, WA. Chef Tom will share a chef’s perspective on working with child nutrition programs.
• Learn from Kern Halls, Area Manager for Orange County Public Schools, who has successfully used chefs in the areas of recipe/menu development, food education, and culinary skills.
• Learn how you can use Fuel Up to Play 60 and other resources to build more excitement around your child nutrition program.

Download the recent webinar at www.schoolnutrition.org/chefsinschools

Webinar made possible by the School Nutrition Foundation in partnership with the National Dairy Council

2. Grants for Chefs Move to Schools

The Culinary Trust is offering grants to support culinary professionals engaging in activities that support the Chefs Move to Schools initiative. Culinary professionals may seek funding for any program that promotes health and wellness in schools. For example, the grant may be used to plant a garden, teach a class, promote or create a wellness program for students or parents or assist in creating a school curriculum that focuses on healthy eating. Chefs working with school cafeteria professionals can also apply.

Grant applicants must have the support of the school principal and, in some cases, additional school personnel. The deadline is Dec. 30. The next grant application deadline will be March 31, 2012. Download an application here:

The California Table Grape Commission is the founding sponsor of the grants.

3. “Cooking Matters for Chefs and Kids”, from Share-Our-Strength, an easy-to-use guide that helps chefs and others provide hands-on instruction that will help kids develop a love of cooking and the skills to make healthy food choices wherever they go. Please click here to download the kit.

Need more information? Visit the Chefs Move to Schools website

Please note that this webinar has been postponed. SNF will schedule a new date for the webinar when the publication date for the final rule is available.

The School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), in partnership with the School Nutrition Association (SNA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is hosting a FREE Webinar Wednesday entitled: “The New School Meal Patterns: What You Need to Know.” Through this webinar, SNA members will be among the first in the child nutrition community to hear from USDA representatives about the details that make up the final rule.

Since January 2011, when the USDA issued proposed meal patterns calling for more produce and whole grains and less sodium and calories in school meals, school nutrition professionals have eagerly awaited the final regulations and clarity on what changes they must make to school menus to meet the new standards. During this webinar, SNA members will learn what the final regulation entails and how the new standards differ from current requirements.

The webinar will be moderated by Cindy Brooks of the School Nutrition Association Public Policy and Legislation Committee with guest speakers: Dr. Janey Thornton, PhD, SNS, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at USDA; and Cindy Long, Director, Child Nutrition Division for Food and Nutrition Service at USDA.

The learning objectives of this webinar are:

• Participants will learn what makes up the final regulation of the new school meal patterns
• Participants will learn how the new meal pattern standards differ from the current meal pattern standards

For more information about this webinar and to register, visit: www.schoolnutrition.org/finalmealpatterns.

SNA members will earn 1 CEU for attending this webinar. SNF webinars are offered free of charge.

December 15, 2011 – Online Registration is now open for the 40th annual gathering of school nutrition professionals in Washington, D.C., for SNA’s Legislative Action Conference (LAC). This year’s event, taking place March 4-7, 2012, at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, is your opportunity to be an advocate for children and make a difference in the future of school nutrition.

2012 is a monumentally important year for our profession, as it brings with it the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and the pending new regulations. Plus, as we rapidly approach the next presidential election, LAC 2012 promises the ideal setting to discuss issues and challenges, and share ideas that will help us move forward and build upon the achievements of the last 40 years. But this discussion and exchange will only be effective if SNA members, allies and advocates come together in force and united in support of the mission of the school meals programs.

Why is it so important that you not miss out on this historic milestone? Because LAC is considered one of the most productive and exciting events in school nutrition! Because this 40th annual gathering will have it all:

• The opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of the democratic process
• Learn about the legislative and regulatory issues facing school nutrition programs both locally and nationally
• The chance to visit Capitol Hill and let the elected lawmakers of the U.S. Congress know your priorities as a child nutrition expert
• Hear valuable updates from representatives of USDA, as well as political insights from Washington insiders, including this year’s keynote speaker, Charlie Cook, one of the nation’s top political forecasters

These are just some of the wonderful opportunities that await you at LAC 2012, so make plans today to join us in our nation’s capital for four inspiring days as we walk the halls of Congress, network with colleagues and discuss the state of our programs!

To learn more about LAC 2012, including invited speakers, registration and hotel accommodations, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/lac. The special Early Bird registration rate deadline is January 20, 2012, so don’t delay—register today!

Related Links:

LAC 2012

Register for LAC