In July, No Kid Hungry staffers attended, presented, and offered technical assistance at the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference (ANC). We asked two of our Center for Best Practices senior managers to share their experiences learning from school nutrition directors who are innovating in the field, and to share their conversations about expanding breakfast and summer meals to reach more children.
Meet Kate McDevitt, a senior manager whose work focuses on school breakfast, and Robin Hernandez, a senior manager whose work focuses on rural non-congregate summer meals. Their experiences from the ANC were as different as the programs themselves. School breakfast is a popular program that has been around for a long time. The focus for breakfast was more on innovation and on creating programs that meet students where they are. Rural non-congregate is the newer program, with more implementation-focused sessions that work through common challenges and build buy-in.
What is one key takeaway from the conference that could help strengthen meal programs or better serve students and families?
- KATE: For me, the biggest takeaway was that some of the most effective ideas are also some of the simplest. Across all three of our national School Breakfast roundtables, school nutrition directors kept coming back to the same theme: meet students where they are. Whether that's serving breakfast later in the morning, creating cozy café-style spaces, bringing meals closer to where students enter the building, or simply making breakfast feel more fun & welcoming! I was so impressed with the creative ways that districts are finding to remove barriers and increase breakfast participation.
- ROBIN: I was so grateful to be able to provide a space where rural non-congregate meals were spotlighted. Because it is a fairly new program and something that is not required the way school breakfast and lunch are, there are still many districts that are unaware of the opportunity rural non-congregate summer meals and their options when it comes to how to operate these programs. So, there is an opportunity here to bring rural non-congregate more attention so that kids can have increased access to meal support in the summer.
What was the most impactful session you participated in at the conference, and why did it stand out to you?
- KATE: Without question, the three National Roundtables on School Breakfast that No Kid Hungry hosted! I went into ANC hoping to learn what districts are experiencing right now, and they exceeded every expectation. Directors from across the country candidly shared what is and isn't working, supported each other, and generously exchanged ideas. The opportunity for these peers to connect with and learn from one another was powerful.
- ROBIN: All the sessions were wonderful and I learned so much. But I found that being in the room for the USDA sessions and listening to the discussions that arose during the Q&A were very powerfull. I listened to folks share concerns about procurement, menu requirements, reimbursement, and more, with many expressing concern about having enough resources to manage what is being asked of them. It reminded me how important our advocacy work and using our collective voice is and will be in the coming years to help nutrition departments get the support they need.
What success stories or creative solutions did you hear from attendees or speakers?
- KATE: Absolutely! One district transformed an unused concession stand near the high school weight room into a school Café that serves smoothies, egg bites, overnight oats, and iced coffee drinks. (We featured that in the July issue of Breakfast Bites.) Others talked about rebranding their "Second Chance Breakfast" as "Brunch," using student advisory groups to redesign menus, and even simple changes like removing foil wrappers from breakfast sandwiches because students perceived them as fresher. It reinforced that there isn't one right answer … innovation looks different in every district!
- ROBIN: During our RNC roundtables, some common challenges were discussed among districts that were new to the program. Many had a hard time getting families to show up for distributions. Experienced champions in the room were quick to provide creative solutions and share how they pivoted to mobile meals or delivery programs to meet participants where they were, or how they worked directly with the community to find what types of foods or program models drove higher participation. It demonstrated just how much outside the box thinking can turn a program into something that works harmoniously with the community.
If you could share one message with members of our audience who were unable to attend the conference, what would it be and why?
- KATE: We heard loud and clear that school nutrition directors are seeking advice on how to increase breakfast participation in their secondary schools. One of my goals following ANC has been to take some of the ideas that directors shared and turn them into practical resources that anyone can use. Our new Creative Strategies for High School Breakfast Participation resource is the first example of that, and there is much more to come!
- ROBIN: We see you and understand the challenging task before you when it comes to feeding kids in school and summer meal programs these days. But we also see your creativity and ingenuity that you put into improving your programs time and time again. We also see your determination and grit to, despite limited resources, reach as many kids as possible. Please know that we are fighting childhood hunger along side you and grateful for all you do.
The No Kid Hungry staff in attendance at ANC had such a great time connecting with fellow attendees, attending informational sessions, engaging in sessions, and learning from inspiring speakers and partners. Thank you for sharing your learnings with us and informing our resources to come. We take these opportunities to connect with our audience to inform the work we create for you all and inspire
