Student Health and Nutrition

The Kansas State Department of Education, along with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Nebraska Department of Education, is accepting applications for the Heartland Farm to School Institute.  

This institute aims to promote the three tenants of Farm to School (procurement, school gardens and education) as well as the Three C’s (classrooms, cafeterias and communities) through school-led Farm to School initiatives.  

Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors may request up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives that will increase the local foods served as part of Child Nutrition Program snacks and meals.  

Child Nutrition Program (CNP) sponsors may request up to $10,000 to support Farm to Plate initiatives that will increase the local foods served as part of Child Nutrition Program snacks and meals.  

The Heartland Farm to School Institute aims to assist schools in incorporating Farm to School programming in the classroom, cafeteria, and community. The Kansas State Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Nebraska Department of Education are leading this initiative.  

The Heartland Farm to School Institute aims to assist schools in incorporating Farm to School programming in the classroom, cafeteria, and community. The Kansas State Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Nebraska Department of Education are leading this initiative.  

The deadline for submitting online applications for 2024 Summer EBT program benefits is 5 p.m., on Oct. 15. This is a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.  

Child Nutrition and Wellness is excited to launch the Kansas Harvest of the Month program, a celebration of Kansas grown commodities, in October. 

The deadline for submitting online applications for 2024 Summer EBT program benefits is 5 p.m., on Oct. 15. This is a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.  

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has extended the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program. Applications for the new federal program, designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer, are being accepted until 5 p.m., on Oct. 15.  

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has extended the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program. Applications for the new federal program, designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer, are being accepted until 5 p.m., on Oct. 15.  

In partnership with the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), the Kansas Department for Children and Families identified more than 117,300 Kansas school-aged children who were eligible to receive benefits to offset the cost of groceries during the summer break. The families of these children were automatically issued benefits in July.  

Schools can share Summer EBT Fact Sheets (available in English and in Spanish) so that families who did not automatically receive benefits may access this program.  

Families who didn’t receive Summer EBT benefits but believe they have an eligible child may apply through the DCF online self-service portal at https://cssp.kees.ks.gov/apspssp/ssp.portal until Sept. 11. 

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will host verification training from 1:30-3:30 p.m., on Thursday, Sept. 5.  

Verification is the process school nutrition program (SNP) sponsors must conduct annually to confirm households are eligible to receive free and reduced-price school meals. The training will cover the purpose and focus of verification and review the steps required to complete verification within all established deadlines. 

For sponsors who have not yet completed procurement training, the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting one more session from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. Join the training here: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/86257503993?pwd=dFRmRFJvQmRVaXF5QWZmS1MvTGhadz09 (Passcode: 192661).  

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a required procurement training for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors on July 30. 

Newly-hired School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness for the Jump Start fall kick-off, on Wednesday, July 31, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., in Hays.  

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a required procurement training for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors on July 30. 

New School Nutrition Program (SNP) directors and managers are invited to join KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness for the Jump Start fall kick-off, on Wednesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., in Hays.  

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a joint School Nutrition Program (SNP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) administrative training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9. 

Would you like to serve free meals to all students during the 2024-25 school year?  

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting a joint School Nutrition Program (SNP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) administrative training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9. 

Sponsors, a school, or a group of schools within the sponsor electing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year must complete the CEP application in KN-CLAIM by June 30.

Sponsors of a school or group of schools within the sponsor electing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year must complete the CEP application in KN-CLAIM by June 30.

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting School Nutrition Program (SNP) Administrative Training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. At least one representative from each sponsor must complete this training. 

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting School Nutrition Program (SNP) Administrative Training from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. At least one representative from each sponsor must complete this training. 

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting two required trainings for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors.

Body Venture is KSDE’s traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5. This exciting exhibit has been updated and can visit approximately 100 schools during the 2024-25 school year. 

The KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will be hosting two required trainings for School Nutrition Program (SNP) sponsors.

Body Venture is KSDE’s traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5. This exciting exhibit has been updated and can visit approximately 100 schools during the 2024-25 school year. 

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m., on Thursday, May 9, to discuss the School Nutrition Program (SNP) renewal process for the 2024-2025 school year.

Body Venture is KSDE’s traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5. This exciting exhibit has been updated and can visit approximately 100 schools during the 2024-25 school year. 

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m., on Thursday, May 9, to discuss the School Nutrition Program (SNP) renewal process for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m., on Thursday, May 2.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on May 2.

Wamego Unified School District 320 earned gold in the Turnip the Beet Award, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) training opportunities.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on March 21. The main topic of the town hall will be the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) renewal process for 2024.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on March 21.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting at 2 p.m. on March 21.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a virtual town hall meeting on March 21 at 2pm. The main topic of the town hall will be the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) renewal process for 2024. Information will be provided about changes to the sponsor and site applications and new guidance for summer 2024. Join the town hall meeting on March 21 at 2pm at https://ksde.zoom.us/j/87204779621?pwd=NEhrcHloRjBobGtOZTJEWFJtR0tUQT09 (Meeting ID: 872 0477 9621  Passcode: 746337).

Are you a Kansas school counselor interested in learning how the brain and nervous system drives behaviors? Look no further than the Jan. 18 event, “Techniques for Looking Beyond Behaviors: Using Neuroscience in Our Schools.”

Friday, Dec.15, is the deadline for Kansas school counselors to participate in a survey that will help determine spring professional development opportunities.  

Martin Luther King Jr. food program uses funds from subgrant to provide equipment, education

A Kansas Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsor used federal funds from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Farm to School Grant to provide labor-saving equipment and education to 140 CACFP home day cares.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) school counselor leader coordinators invite Kansas school counselors to participate in a survey that will help determine spring professional development opportunities.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting the December town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting two virtual town hall meetings in coming months. 

The notification date for the fiscal year 2023 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) equipment assistance grants has been moved back because of the overwhelming number of applications received by the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team. 

On Oct. 23, 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) request to waive the requirement for the annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) election deadline and date used to determine the identified student percentage (ISP) for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Each sponsor that operates a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is asked to complete the Farm to School Census, regardless of participation in Farm to School activities. 

The 2024 Kansas Health Care Virtual Career Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 1. 

The 2024 Kansas Health Care Virtual Career Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 1.

KSDE will host A Zoom webinar from 11 a.m. - noon on Tuesday, Nov. 28, to discuss the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Reintegration and Postvention Toolkit.

A Zoom webinar scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10, to discuss the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Reintegration and Postvention Toolkit has been rescheduled for later this month.

The goal of Safe Routes to School is to increase the number of K-12 students in Kansas who walk, bike and roll to school, improve safety, and increase physical activity through policies, programs and projects, said Ann Marie Katt, coordinator of the program.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is seeking feedback to help inform its Farm to Plate team of local food purchasing in school nutrition programs across the state.   

The fiscal year 2024 United States Department of Agriculture Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant request for applications (RFA) is now available by clicking here.

Kelly Chanay, who has recently served as assistant director of the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team, has been named the team’s new director.

Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) counselor leader coordinators have scheduled a variety of professional development opportunities for school counselors throughout November and December.

The fiscal year 2024 United States Department of Agriculture Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant request for applications (RFA) is now available by clicking here.

The KSDE TASN School Mental Health Initiative has announced a self-paced professional development opportunity called Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom eLearning Course.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is seeking feedback to help inform its Farm to Plate team of local food purchasing in school nutrition programs across the state.

Applications are available for the Healthier Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Award, which is a recognition system that supports the wellness efforts of child care providers, day care center staff members and home providers participating in CACFP.

The KSDE TASN School Mental Health Initiative has announced a self-paced professional development opportunity called Mindfulness and School-Based Yoga: Tools for the Classroom eLearning Course.

The Kansas State Department of Education Child Nutrition and Wellness team will host a Town Hall meeting via Zoom at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.  

Educators and students across the sunflower state wore pink this week to stand up to bullying. 

The Kansas State Department of Education Child Nutrition and Wellness team will host a Town Hall meeting via Zoom at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.  

It is officially October, which means it’s crunch time.  

Kansas has received an allocation of $252,243 to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including those operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). 

The United States Department of Agriculture published a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 26, 2023, to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) participation threshold from 40% to 25%. 

Are you ready for National School Lunch Week? This celebration runs from Oct. 9-13. 

Kansas is participating in the fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off on Oct. 12 and needs your help to reach its goal of 50,000 crunches statewide. 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is offering you a firsthand look at Kansas farms as part of the Farm to Plate program. 

You are invited to get a firsthand look at what’s happening out “in the field” of Farm to Plate as the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team announces regional farm tours across Kansas. 

Seven additional Kansas schools will receive hydroponic farm classrooms thanks to a two-year, $1,052,000 Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Community Capacity Grant that Gov. Laura Kelly announced earlier this week. 

Remembering four simple steps to handle food safely can help save your life or the life of a friend or family member. Clean. Separate. Cook. Chill. 

It’s crunch time!  

All Kansas school counselors are invited to join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) School Counselor Leader Coordinators for a meet and greet via Zoom from 4-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.

It’s crunch time!

Three Kansas school districts and two organizations were recently honored for outstanding practices in Child Nutrition and Wellness programs that help support the Kansans Can vision.

School counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists and administrators are invited to join the School-Based Mental Health 2023-2024 ECHO series for free.

School counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists and administrators are invited to join the School-Based Mental Health 2023-2024 ECHO series for free.

Dr. Brenna VanFrank to be keynote speaker for event

Registration is open for the virtual Kansas Vaping ECHO for Education Summit, which will take place 9-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team will host a Thursday Townhall meeting at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24.

Other CNW news included

As summer break comes to an end and everyone gears up for the beginning of the school year, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) After-School Meals and Snacks can again be served to children located in low-income areas.

Thanks to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant, there are three regional Local Foods Culinary Workshops scheduled in July and August. 

Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting the summer academy, “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.”

Kansas to receive about $12.3 million; increased meal reimbursement rates for school meals through Keep Kids Fed Act will expire Friday, June 30

School nutrition programs around the country have faced significant challenges in recent years, including supply chains for food and labor. 

Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting their second and final summer academy, “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.”  

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting a kickoff event for the Jump Start program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka. 

Thanks to a United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition grant, there are three regional Local Foods Culinary Workshops scheduled in July and August. 

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Technical Assistance System Network’s (TASN) School Mental Health Initiative is hosting an e-learning course and e-coaching series. 

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is helping thousands of children across Kansas access nutritious meals and snacks this summer. 

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is helping thousands of children across Kansas access nutritious meals and snacks this summer. 

Kelly Guindon and Noalee McDonald-Augustine, teacher leader coordinators for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), are hosting “It’s Not Just PE: Meeting the Physical, Mental and Emotional Needs of Students.” 

The Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) tool is now integrated into KN-CLAIM with information pulled from prior years to assist with completion. 

Sponsors should make plans to attend a School Nutrition Program (SNP) administrative update training this summer. 

Make plans now to join the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team for the 2023-2024 Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Program kick-off event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness team wants to remind school meal program operators that Sodium Target 1A, as promulgated by the Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium – Final Rule, goes into effect July 1 in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) only.

Sponsors serving summer meals through the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in July and/or August must complete and be approved for school year 2023-2024 operations before July 1.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is offering several training opportunities throughout the summer months.

Hydroponic classrooms part of $10 million Farm to School initiative

Community Green Farms and Leafy Green Farms announced this week that Columbus Unified School District 493 will be the next school district in the state to receive a hydroponic farm classroom as part of a $10 million Farm to School initiative. 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) traveling health education exhibit for students in grades K-5 has been updated and can be scheduled now for the upcoming school year. 

Nominations are being accepted for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW)’s 2023-2023 Kansans Can Best Practice Awards. 

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Nondiscrimination Statement (NDS) is no longer available as a separate page on the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) website. 

The application to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for school year 2023-24 is available at https://cnw.ksde.org, SNP, SNP What’s New. 

The Kansas Online Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals will be available free of charge to sponsors for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Summer Meals Programs are designed to fill the nutrition gap that occurs in the summer and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.  

Eating breakfast is one of the best ways to ensure students are healthy and able to achieve their full potential. 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is hosting its Town Hall Tuesday via Zoom at 2 p.m. April 18. 

Other Child Nutrition and Wellness updates included

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team is launching its new website on Friday, Feb. 24. 

The Kansas Department for Children and Families has created a quick and easy way for adults, families and schools to see what services are available. 

Gardner Edgerton Unified School District 231 and Dodge City USD 443 have received the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Turnip the Beet award for the 2022 program year. 

Greenbush, ESSDACK and Orion service centers have partnered to create a social-emotional learning (SEL) video resource library for paraprofessionals.

Please share this opportunity with families of children ages birth to 5: 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will host a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 via Zoom. 

All personnel employed in a local food service operation that participates in federal Child Nutrition Programs must complete Kansas State Department of Education-approved food safety training. 

The first-floor rotunda of the Kansas State Capitol was busy Thursday, Jan. 26, as dozens of people gathered for the seventh annual School Mental Health Advocacy Day. 

Join the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) each Wednesday in February for Wellness Wednesdays via Zoom to assist Kansas schools in implementing wellness policies and creating a healthier school environment. 

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is looking for sponsors willing to provide nutritious meals to Kansas children during the summer months. 

The 2023 Jump Start Your Success in School Nutrition Programs offers a blend of in-person, live virtual and on-demand personalized training opportunities for new and aspiring school food service directors and managers. 

In partnership with DCCCA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Maternal and Child Health program, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is offering a new learning experience to help address student mental health needs. 

Jacobs recently joined KSDE as counseling consultant

Mallory Jacobs, a school counselor at Whitson Elementary School, Topeka Unified School District 501, was recently named the 2022 School Counselor of the Year by the Kansas School Counselor Association (KSCA).

A new Culinary Quick Bite video from KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is available for viewing on the KSDE Livemedia YouTube channel. 

Members from the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) Early Childhood and Child Nutrition and Wellness (Child and Adult Care Food Program – CACFP) teams met Thursday, Dec. 15, to build relationships and learn a little more about the roles each team plays within the agency. 

The fiscal year 2023 United States Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA) is now available here. 

The Healthy Kansas Plate poster, based on the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate, was developed to assist Kansas schools and sponsors in identifying the reimbursable meal and to assist in providing nutrition education to its participants.

The Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team at the Kansas State Department of Education continues to develop new interactive online training classes and tutorials for food service professionals that can be accessed free of charge via the KSDE Training Portal.

As part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s new “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign to spread awareness about substance use prevention, a new screening tool Screen4Success helps parents and caregivers understand the well-being of their children. 

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team will host a Tuesday Townhall meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15. 

School social workers, social work students and retired social workers from across Kansas gathered Friday, Oct. 28, at the Double Tree Hotel in Lawrence for the Kansas School Social Workers Association's Fall Conference, said Shanna Hailey, coordinator of school mental health on the Special Education and Title Services (SETS) team. 

A new Culinary Quick Bite video from KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team is available for viewing on the KSDE Livemedia YouTube channel. 

Dr. Jane Groff, executive director of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC), the KPIRC organization, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Technical Assistance Systems Network (TASN) have put together a document that can help guide families on the Social, Emotional and Character Development (SECD) standards. 

From promoting fresh vegetables at Garden City USD 457 to lunch and a movie at Wichita USD 259, districts across Kansas celebrated National School Lunch Week from Oct. 10-14.

De Soto Unified School District 232 staff members took part in fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off earlier this month.

Sponsors using the Online Kanas Free and Reduce-Price Meal Application must print the applications or store them electronically within 30 days of receiving them.

National School Lunch Week, created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, is celebrated Oct. 10-14.

Schools can still request an opportunity for students to experience the Virtual Body Venture Exhibit.

The Kansas State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team offers a monthly "Culinary Quick Bites" video.

KanCare wants to make sure it has updated contact information for KanCare beneficiaries.

Join us each month for a Culinary Quick Bite short video full of information & culinary tips.

The application to apply to participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) for 2022-2023 is available at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New. 

KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team honored three school districts for outstanding innovative practices at the Kansas State Board of Education’s A

The fourth annual Mountain Plains Crunch Off will take place Oct. 12.

This year’s registrants are able to crunch on not only apples, but any local crunchable produce! Kansas is participating in the Mountain Plains Crunch Off with seven other regional states. The Kansas goal is 50,000 crunches statewide. The regional goal is 202,200 crunches.

Kansas has received an allocation of $218,453 to competitively award equipment assistance grants to eligible sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including those operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

Working groups creating resources for school board members, administrators, parents and community members have helped inform KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness (CNW) team in the development of resources to help communicate the transition back to standard Child Nutrition Program operations for the 2022-2023 school year.

The application to apply to participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) for PY 2022-23 is available at www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, What’s New. 

All sponsors are required to use the Direct Certification system to assure that all foster students and students eligible for Food Assistance (FA) or Temporary Assistance to Families (TAF) are approved to receive free school meals.

Reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year are now available at www.kn-eat.org.

A $100,000 federal grant will help the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) connect child nutrition programs in the state with locally produced flour.

Consider using this new evidence-based “panel card” created by the KSDE-sponsored Kansas Parent Information and Resource Center (KPIRC).