Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT)
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
New Feature Alert for the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
A new feature is now available on the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) Interactive Web-based Tool. Team Nutrition appreciates receiving your feedback on the FBG and works continuously to enhance the user experience. The capability of the web-based tool has been enhanced on the Food Item Details Page for users to select the desired Serving Size per Meal Contribution for fruits and vegetables using a drop-down menu to auto-calculate the amount to purchase based on the selected serving size. Stay tuned for the availability of this feature on the Mobile App!
See what the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs has to offer you today!
Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT)
Update Regarding Child Nutrition Program Emergency Operating Costs During COVID-19
The SNT has applied for the School Programs Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program and are currently waiting for approval from USDA. Once we receive approval, we will have until April 26, 2021 to complete a supplemental application/full implementation plan.
AmeriCorps Week 2021
Did you know that March 7-13 is AmeriCorps week? Our team of AmeriCorps Farm to School members have faced their fair share of challenges this school year, so we want to take a minute to celebrate their perseverance to serving our communities.
So far this year they have…
- Taught nutrition lessons to over 900 students either virtually or in a safe, socially distanced manner
- Hosted over 60 taste tests by sending local items home with students or doing them in safe, small groups
- Helped school food service directors serve 17 different local meal ingredients
- Engaged over 30 farmers in virtual education for students
- Spend over 1000 minutes gardening with students
- Leveraged 49 volunteers who served over 380 hours supporting farm to school programming
While the numbers may look smaller than they have in years past, the impact that our AmeriCorps Farm to School members are having in their communities are priceless. For many their programming provides a sense of normalcy and community that we have all been craving. We are so grateful for their hard work! For more information on how to host an AmeriCorps Farm to School member in your community, visit our website! #WeAreAmeriCorps
Now Accepting Host Site Applications for the AmeriCorps Farm to School Grant - Notice of Intent to Apply Due March 19, 2021
The DPI SNT is accepting applications for new partner sites across Wisconsin for the 2021-2022 school year in anticipation of receiving AmeriCorps Farm to School Program funding in the 2021-2022 grant cycle. Through an AmeriCorps (AC) grant, we are able to offer the AC Farm to School (F2S) Program to communities around Wisconsin.
What is the AmeriCorps Farm to School Program?
The AC F2S Program provides an innovative approach to building healthy communities through:
- Improving child nutrition through the implementation of educational F2S activities for students and families. These activities encourage healthy eating choices within educational settings.
- Developing strong communities by creating future community leaders and connecting schools with local farmers and food businesses.
- Increasing the capacity of communities all over Wisconsin to support sustainable F2S programs that encourage healthy behaviors and improve the school food environment.
If you are wondering how this program can benefit your school, local school district, or community, please check out our 2019-2020 Program Impact Report.
Here are the complete instructions on how to fill out the application, what our program is, what would be expected of you as a host site, what our goals are, and more. If you have questions about the program, you may contact Kara Ignasiak at 715-214-6080 or kara.ignasiak@dpi.wi.gov.
Timeline:
March 19, 2021 – Notice of Intent to Apply Due to DPI
March 31, 2021 – Continuation Application Due to DPI
April 1 to 9, 2021 – DPI Application Review Process
April 12, 2021 – Target Date for Grant Award Notification
April through August, 2021 – Host Site Member Recruitment and Onboarding
August 15, 2021 – Program Implementation
Thank you for your interest in becoming an AmeriCorps Farm to School Host Site in the 2021-2022 service year!
Educational and Enrichment Activities for the Afterschool Snack Program
For those of you running the Afterschool Snack Program while participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and those serving an at-risk or afterschool snack in Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), here are some educational and enrichment activities you can share directly with students to go along with their snack.
Most of these activities work for in-person students or for virtual or at-home learners, with a variety of activities for different ages. You can share the links with families, or print out the activity sheets and slide into a snack sack, or play the videos during snack time, as you wish. We hope this is helpful for those of you providing an afterschool snack.
Better than Dirt Cake Instructions (grades 6-12)
Types of Soil Song – audio recording (grades PreK-3)
Circles of the Earth craft activity (grades 2-5)
Soil Made That! activities (grades 4-6)
Soil Rocks coloring page (all ages)
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
This is a communication from the WI Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Team.
You can contact the School Nutrition Team at dpifns@dpi.wi.gov. To subscribe to schoolmealsnews, please send an email to dpifns@dpi.wi.gov. dpi.wi.gov/school-nutrition #WISchoolMealsRock