Improving School Meals with Modernized Training for School Nutrition Professionals

K-12 schools serve nutritious meals to about 30 million children every school day. These meals are an important source of nutrition for many children and give them the fuel they need to grow, learn and thrive. Every school is staffed with nutrition professionals whose mission is to provide healthy and delicious meals to students. And USDA knows these dedicated nutrition professionals need training and continued education to serve children the highest quality meals.

That's why today, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, also known as FNS, is awarding approximately $8.6 million in Team Nutrition Training Grants to 11 states that administer the National School Lunch Program. The grants will help ensure that school nutrition professionals have the skills and knowledge to prepare and serve nutritious meals that set children up for success. These enhanced skills are especially important right now, as USDA's updated school nutrition standards will require gradual reductions to added sugars and sodium in upcoming years.

The states awarded with these grants for fiscal year 2024 include:

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
• Michigan Department of Education in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education
• Minnesota Department of Education
• Montana Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs
• New Hampshire Department of Education
• North Dakota Department of Education in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Education Child and Adult Nutrition Services
• Pennsylvania Department of Education in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education
• Texas Department of Agriculture
• Virginia Department of Education
• Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Wyoming Department of Education in partnership with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

These grants will also help schools in these states capture and share the knowledge of school nutrition directors, managers and front-line staff through coaching and mentoring programs.

More information about this year's Team Nutrition Training Grants for Meal Pattern Modernization and Retention and Mentorship Opportunities is available.

For more information about the updated school meal standards, please watch this video and visit this webpage.