Schools operating as Nutrition Hubs help children access the nutrition they need throughout the year by operating all available federal child nutrition programs—school breakfast, lunch, afterschool and summer meals. This strategy also provides school nutrition departments with a financial management solution: increasing revenue, optimizing staff time and maximizing operational efficiencies.
Our Schools as Nutrition Hubs: The Business Savvy Strategy to Reduce Childhood Hunger Brief and Schools as Nutrition Hubs: The Business Savvy Strategy to Reduce Childhood Hunger Report, developed in partnership with the School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), highlight the benefits and strategies of operating School Nutrition Hubs from successful school nutrition professionals. Watch this Make Your School a Nutrition Hub video to hear testimonials directly from school nutrition directors who have successfully implemented Nutrition Hubs models.
SNF and No Kid Hungry have also developed a series of resources to help school nutrition directors evaluate and act on opportunities to expand federal nutrition programs within their districts. These tools are meant to be utilized during a School Nutrition Hubs training session. However, other school nutrition directors may find them useful for improving and expanding their programs.
Use the searchable Community Eligibility Database to determine which schools are available in your state and district. The USDA resource Perceived Barriers to CEP Implementation and Webinar: Making “Cents” of CEP at a 40-50% ISP can help you address challenges and successfully adopt CEP at your school or district.
Our Three Meals a Day guide provides information, tips and ideas based on interviews conducted with ten school nutrition directors from across the country. This Supper Makes Cents flyer presents an overview of the afterschool meals program, its benefits and the financial benefits. Both resources can help you think through implementing an afterschool meals program at your school.
Schools are an ideal place to host summer meals sites, and districts make strong sponsors. Families trust programs held at schools and schools have the infrastructure and expertise in food service management to operate successful programs. The Summer Meals Sponsor Planning Guide and Summer Meals Calculator will help you develop a plan for implementing a summer meals program.