RFP: Greet the Challenge: Embracing Change in School Nutrition Programs
October 21 – 22, 2011
Presented by: School Nutrition Association of VT
Proposal Period: April 12 - May 19
No proposals will be accepted after May 19
Submit proposals to: abbie@nofavt.org
School Nutrition Association of VT (SNA-VT) seeks proposals for workshops at its Annual Conference on October 21 and 22, 2011 at Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, VT.
Workshop Session Topics
Please note that the overarching goal of the conference is to embrace the evolution of school nutrition programs. The majority of topics below are meant to apply to school nutrition in its broadest sense, including K-12 schools, pre-schools, and day care centers.
Themes and Topic Areas
The following are topic areas participants have requested from previous conferences and workshops. In addition, we are interested in being up to date with changes in the USDA regulations. When applying to do a workshop, please address one of these topics and at least one of its subcategories. Also, doing a workshop with one or several other presenters may enhance your content. Due to the expected large numbers of proposals, we may have to combine proposals and create workshops with more than one presenter.
1) Chef Demonstrations – a) Cooking with grains; b) Cooking veggies well; c) Cooking with alternative proteins
2) School Food Service Administration and Leadership for Change – a) Working with school administrators; b) Personnel issues; c) Promoting and fundraising for your school food service program and working with the school community; d) Time and resource efficiency; e) Being an integral part of school wellness initiatives; f) Using interns and student volunteers; g) Time and resource efficiencies in school food service
3) The New Meal Pattern and HUSSC – a) Menu planning for the new meal pattern; b) Marketing the new meal pattern; c) Overview of the new CNR Regulations – prioritizing change and deciding where to start
4) Environmental Issues: Cafeteria and Kitchen – a) The cafeteria environment – improving cafeteria space and atmosphere to promote healthy eating and choices in high school and elementary school; b) The right tool for the right job; c) Art in the cafeteria
5) Professional Development for Food Service Staff – a) Food safety; b) Produce safety; c) Culinary basics; d) Improving the image of school food service staff
6) School Gardens and Composting – a) Composting in schools; b) Getting garden food onto kids plates; c) Gardening and the curriculum: connecting cafeteria to the classroom
7) Specialized Diets and Cultural Cooking – a) Vegetarian options for students; b) Use of beans as protein; c) Serving students from diverse cultural backgrounds; d) Serving students with restricted diets and allergies
8) Students Speak! – a) Jr. Iron Chef; b) Getting students involved in school meal programs
9) School Breakfast and Snack – a) Ingenious uses of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and nutrition education; b) Best practices for school breakfast (i.e. breakfast in the classroom)
10) Using Local Food – a) Production kitchens and processing; b) Direct purchasing, growing contracts, and using storage crops
Session format: Workshop sessions are 90 minutes
Workshop sessions will be 90 minutes in length. Expect approximately 10-20 attendees per workshop session.
Interactive sessions that provide opportunities for significant audience participation are encouraged. These sessions may include individual or group role-playing, small group work, or hands-on tasks. Power point presentations are not required, and if used, we encourage them to be relatively short and have a creative approach. We are cognizant that people learn in different ways and encourage a variety of workshop interactions and approaches. Handouts are encouraged. All recipes used or referred to in workshops should be made into handouts (preferably with nutritional information).
We urge workshop planners to avoid proposing workshops that only highlight one specific program. Instead, we suggest connecting with similar programs from across the state or region to create a more comprehensive joint workshop on the topic. These workshops will be given priority during the review process. If you need assistance in identifying projects or people to co-present with, please contact Abbie Nelson or Kathy Alexander.
Audience
Most of the audience will be food service managers, food service staff, and directors as well as daycare providers. However, we also will attract others involved in schools and health such as nurses, health educators, teachers, superintendents, principals, and parents. It is best to expect a very diverse audience. Please try to use plain language and limit the use of acronyms and jargon to make your session accessible to all participants.
Audio-Visual
We will contact you regarding your AV needs, if your session is chosen.
Registration Fees
Presenters are entitled to free registration for the whole conference.
All presenters must register for the conference.
Travel and Lodging Costs
Presenters should plan on covering their own travel and lodging costs, if necessary, to participate in the conference.
Workshop proposals should be submitted online in a Microsoft Word Document Format (.doc)
If absolutely necessary proposals may be mailed but must be received by May 13, 2011 (see address below)
Submission of Proposals and Deadlines
Deadline to submit the workshop proposals is May 13, 2011.
You'll Hear Back From Us Soon
Submission of a proposal is not a guarantee of its acceptance. All proposals will be reviewed by a planning committee. Notification of your proposal's status will be provided by May 27th, 2011.
For information concerning workshop content or the submission process please contact:
Abbie Nelson, Conference Coordinator – abbie@nofavt.org 802-434-4122
Kathy Alexander – kalexander@anesu.org 802-453-2333 ext. 1004
Erika Dolan – edolan@wdsdvt.org 802-244-6100 ext. 168
