Communications & Training

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Communications

The Dish Newsletter - Stay Informed, Stay Connected!

Get the latest updates on child nutrition programs, policy changes, funding opportunities, training resources and more. Subscribe and view past newsletters to stay informed and ensure your program’s success.

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Outreach Toolkits

The following toolkits contain templates and resources to help promote the importance and value of school and summer meals. Sponsors may tailor the materials to meet local needs.

School Wellness Outreach
- Guides and customizable resources social media posts to talk about school wellness with teachers, staff and families.
Child Nutrition Hiring Tools
- Materials to promote your open positions including recruitment videos, flyers, posters and social media posts.
Summer Meals Outreach
- Marketing tools, print ready and customizable materials to promote, communicate and inform families of nearby summer meal sites.
School Meals Outreach
- Resources and tailored messages for marketing and talking to your community about school meal programs.
Healthy School Meals for All Program Outreach
- Resources and customizable materials to raise awareness and promote the program to school communities, families and students.

Training

The School Nutrition Unit offers online, in-person and webinar training to increase school nutrition professionals' skills and knowledge in operating child nutrition programs. These trainings provide USDA Professional Standards hours and count as Continuing Education Units (CEU) for the School Nutrition Specialist (SNS) Credential. Use the Professional Standards training tracker to document participation in continuing education opportunities.

On the Menu and other Webinars

On the Menu Calls are held the fourth Thursday of each month from 2-3 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Topics reflect current happenings and required annual training and provide opportunities for networking with peers. In addition to monthly On The Menu calls, School Nutrition offers training on a variety of topics to ensure child nutrition professionals are prepared to operate healthy, efficient, and compliant programs.

Upcoming Webinars

Click on the title to register.

Wednesday, September 3: Procurement Training
September 18 from 1-3 pm: What to Expect for the Administrative Review
September 25 On the Menu: TBD

Recorded Webinars

August 2025 On the Menu: Back to School
July 2025 On the Menu: Eligibility
May 2025 On the Menu: Direct Certification
May 2025 webinar: CEP Implementation
April 2025 On the Menu: Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Training
March 2025 On the Menu: CEP Identified Student Percentage Reporting
March 2025: SFSP Sponsor Training
February 2025 On the Menu: Non-Congregate Summer Meals
January 2025 On the Menu: Summer-EBT

Recorded Webinars Continued

November 2024 On the Menu: Special Dietary Needs: Sponsor Panel
November 2024: Verification Collection Report
October 2024 On the Menu: School Meal Promotions
September 2024 On the Menu: Income Verification
September 2024: Local Food Program Grantees
August 2024: Procurement Training
April 2024: Summer Food Service Program Sponsor Training #2
March 2024: CEP Mid-Year Implementation
February 2024 On the Menu: Farm to School
January 2024 On the Menu: 2024 Updates & School Nutrition News

In-Person Trainings

School Nutrition offers periodic in-person trainings and technical assistance via a regional model that cover a wide range of relevant topics to support effective child nutrition operations.

Recipe for Success Training

Join colleagues at a Recipe for Success training designed for food service directors, managers and supervisors. The training will cover key topics including Healthy School Meals for All, meal patterns, Buy American, meal counting and claiming and eligibility- plus enjoy dedicated time to network and connect with peers.

Monday, Sept. 29, in Denver
Wednesday, Oct. 8, in Montrose

Farm to School: Cultivating Connections, Sowing Success

K-12 Farm to School program operators, CO agricultural producers and strategic partners are welcome to attend the Farm to School event: Cultivating Connections, Sowing Success. Attendees will meet producers, learn strategies from peers, attend informative sessions and connect with regional partners.

Please register for one or both of the following events:

Front Range Regional Farm to School Gathering - Friday, Nov. 14, in Brighton
Western Slope Regional Farm to School Gathering - Friday, Dec. 12, in Grand Junction

Self-Paced Online Training

CDE School Nutrition uses the Moodle platform for all online training. To access online training and receive professional standards credit, you must have a Moodle account. Accounts are free. The enrollment key is Nutrition.

Questions?

Read Moodle User Instructions
Please contact schoolnutritiontraining@cde.state.co.us for questions about School Nutrition training offerings and any accessibility needs.