Workshop

Districts attend a two-day workshop in Boulder, CO where they will:

• Review foundational strategies for successful school food reform through sessions such as recipe development, the importance of financial tracking, and how to best support staff to create change.
• Visit Boulder Valley School District kitchens and cafeterias to see transformation first-hand.
• Network with school food experts and other district program participants while dining at some of the best Farm to Table restaurants in Boulder.

On-site Assessment and Report

School food experts visit participating districts to observe their current operations and identify opportunities for improvement in day-to-day activities. The assessment will focus on the five key areas of school food operations:

• Food (i.e. procurement, commodities, recipe and menu development);
• Finance (i.e. budget development, meal counts, eligibility processing);
• Facilities (i.e. salad bars, cooking and service equipment);
• Human Resources (i.e. job descriptions, professional development, staffing structure); and
• Marketing (i.e. communications with students and parents, social media, branding and logo).

A post-assessment report, including recommendations, is provided to use as a guide for next steps and working with leadership and the school community.

On-site Debrief and Strategic Planning

Chef Ann Cooper and Chef Beth Collins return to the district to present assessment findings to key district leadership and food service team members. Following the debrief, they lead team members through a strategy session to review the recommendations and associated actions needed to achieve the desired changes based on the on-site assessment.

Additional On-site Training and Off-site Technical Assistance

Districts are provided additional support to help implement recommendations from their assessment. This includes training for all staff through Whole Kid Foundation’s Healthy Food Service program. Past districts have used additional training and TA to:

• eliminate flavored milk from their menus;
• accurately update their financial tracking tools;
• receive guidance and advice prior to a director’s first state review.

$35,000 Systems Assistance Grant

Districts have the opportunity to apply for a one-time $35,000 systems assistance grant that is designed to support the identified needs and goals of their program. This grant has been used by past participants to:

• purchase kitchen equipment used to prepare scratch cooked meals;
• implement salad bars that support the consumption of a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables;
• purchase software that allows districts to track inventory, manage production records, and incorporate new recipes;
• train staff on recipe development and testing.

School Food Institute Courses

Each district selected for the program receives two Gold Certificates to Chef Ann Foundation’s virtual School Food Institute. Each Gold Certificate represents 8 courses, selected from the 11 available courses, including School Food Procurement, Recipes & Menu Development and Salad Bars in Schools. Each course is self-paced and meets USDA professional standards learning objectives.

Yearly Evaluations

For two years following their assessment, districts participate in evaluations managed by the nationally-recognized Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition. They conduct evaluative interviews with districts and collect updated data to measure a district’s progress in the program.