2024 Summer Nutrition Summit
General Information
No Kid Hungry hosted the Summer Nutrition Summit from January 23-24, 2024 in Baltimore, MD. This in-person, two-day event brought together a variety of stakeholders, including state agency staff, national partners, sponsors, and USDA representatives. The summit offered a unique opportunity to engage in constructive conversation and ideate solutions around the effective administration and implementation of summer nutrition programs with a focus on rural, non-congregate summer meals and Summer EBT.
We partnered with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) to co-host and design the Summer EBT track at the Summer Nutrition Summit. APHSA is the national, bipartisan membership association representing state, county, and city human services agencies, including those who administer SNAP.
Attendees participated in sessions of varying formats, including workshop-style learning sessions, engagements with USDA, and stakeholder-specific closed-door discussions centered around increasing the reach and improving the implementation of rural, non-congregate summer meals and Summer EBT.
Ending Summer Hunger: This Is How Change Happens
Click the link below to read a blog post for a recap on the Summer Nutrition Summit and its impact.
Agenda
View the agenda
To learn more and view session descriptions for the plenaries and breakout sessions, view the agenda by clicking the link below.
Breakout Session Slide Decks
Summer EBT Implementation Considerations & Promising Practices for State, Territory, and Tribal Agencies
Join APHSA, Share Our Strength, and state agency leaders to hear key decision points and processes for state, territory, and Tribal agency staff implementing Summer EBT in 2024 and beyond. This session included background on Summer EBT and then turned to a panel of representatives from SNAP and child nutrition agencies, who shared how they are planning and preparing for Summer EBT implementation.
Using Caregiver Insights to Inform a Participant-Centered Non-Congregate Program
This session presented findings from interviews with caregivers participating in the summer non-congregate program. After hearing about caregivers’ experiences with the non-congregate program in Summer 2023, attendees participated in an innovation exercise intended to inspire
attendees to think of new ways to ensure that non-congregate meal programs center the needs and desires of program participants.
Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead: Family & School Perspectives on Pandemic EBT and Summer EBT
This presentation and conversation was grounded in learnings from interviews with families and school staff who navigated Pandemic EBT. We shared key takeaways, provided an opportunity for discussion, and brainstormed together around how we can design and implement Summer EBT programs that respond to the concerns and suggestions raised.
USDA Overview of the IFR for Summer EBT and Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service in Rural Areas
The interim final rule (IFR) on Summer EBT and non-congregate summer meals in rural communities sets the framework for how these programs will work in 2024 and beyond. This presentation provided attendees with a shared understanding of the requirements for each. USDA staff summarized key provisions of the IFR, highlighted areas where they seek comments to inform the final rule, and addressed questions from the audience.
Expanding Reach with Program Integrity - Rural, Non-Congregate Meals
This session featured a panel discussion of state agency leaders from across the country who were able to support sponsors maximizing rural non-congregate meals while maintaining program integrity. The panelists spoke to their ability to address parent/guardian pick-up, multiple days of meals, access to congregate sites, and distribution models as they worked with sponsors to create their integrity plans.
Overcoming Technical Challenges with the Summer EBT Playbook
In this session, Code for America and No Kid Hungry provided an overview of the Summer EBT Playbook: a comprehensive, free resource designed to help state, territory, and Tribal agency staff plan for and implement a human-centered Summer EBT program. We focused on specific technical challenges identified through our primary research with government leaders from across 25 states and jurisdictions. From school data collection to customer support, we walked through challenges and solutions, to help state, territory, and Tribal agency staffers feel empowered to tackle their Summer EBT implementation plans—regardless of where they are in the preparation process.
Collaborating Across Communities to Implement Strong Summer Meal Programs
As we work to expand this new program option in rural communities, it’s more important than ever to collaborate and develop partnerships to identify eligible communities and new sponsors, and design programs that work best for each community. In this session, we discussed collaborating across state agencies, school districts, and community organizations to expand rural non-congregate summer meal programs. We also discussed resources to help identify eligible communities and other tactics to engage and convene important stakeholders serving rural communities.
Lessons Learned and Promising Practices for Non-Congregate Meal Operations
Implementing a successful rural non-congregate summer meal program requires detailed planning and challenging logistics. In this session we shared and workshopped promising practices to ensure non-congregate meals best serve our rural families. We discussed service models, transportation, staffing, menu options, and other considerations for how to design a non-congregate summer meal program.