FOCUS Virtual Meeting

Wednesday, January 20, 200912:00 ET

Introduction

Please tell us:

• Your name

• Your organization and state

• One sentence about either• Why you’re involved in FOCUS, or• Something happening in your district that

advances the goal of procuring more healthful, local and/or sustainably produced food for your schools

How can you be involved?

• We know many of us have more passion than time for this work!

• Feel free to engage at any level at any time

Levels of involvement

Observer

• Interested in our work and receive our materials

• Read our materials when you can

Levels of involvement

Storyteller

• Share your successes and challenges

• Have some ability to provide input when requested

• For example:• Posting on Knowledge Café• Being interviewed or writing for Month in FOCUS• Participating in surveys• Providing input on documents

Levels of involvement

Networker

• Attend in-person and telephone meetings when possible

• Share information with others within FOCUS

• For example:• Participating in this call• If you can’t attend a call but want to be involved, RSVP

with a one-sentence question or update to share

• Attending our Annual Meeting• Calling another FOCUS participant for

support/involvement

Levels of involvement

Ambassador

• Communicate with those outside of FOCUS about our work

• For example:• Contact government representatives regarding

policy priorities• Speak to members of the media about FOCUS

work• Host a site visit• Provide input to USDA

Levels of involvement

Team member

• Involved in planning and decision-making on a regular basis

• For example:• Annual Meeting Planning Team• Real School Food Showcase Planning Team• Learning Lab participant• Policy Working Group Steering Committee• Leadership Integration Team

School food professionals & community partners

Summary

• People think highly of us; many wish they could be part of Learning Lab

• Networking and resource sharing highly valued

• Recognize power of collaborative work

• Successes: nutrition education, wellness, farm to school, gardens, scratch cooking

• Challenges: time, resources

• Schools appreciate partners working in concert toward mutual goals

What do FOCUS participants want?

• To network and learn from one another

• To engage additional stakeholders, e.g. principals, students, faculty

• Support for procurement

• Information, updates, resources, e.g. School Food 101

• Public recognition of work with FOCUS and schools

• Advocacy to change the rules

Lessons learned

• Local successes can be leveraged statewide

• Change is slow; depends on readiness, environment, confidence, comfort level

• Face-to-face gatherings crucial

• Large districts have particular set of challenges

• Consistent advocacy works

Annual Meeting

Overview

• School Food FOCUS Second Annual Meeting, Chicago, March 25-27, 2010

• Approximately 100 attendees• 55 school food service professionals and

community partners• USDA reps, national partners, resource people,

experts• FOCUS staff and consultants + staffing from Kids

First

Annual Meeting

Purposes

• Create climate of possibility to catalyze procurement change

• Expand channels for sharing knowledge and building capacity

• Elevate power of large-scale procurement in creating more healthful, regional and sustainable school food

• Present new, replicable model for vendor involvement

• Explore paths for alignment about product-specific procurement change

• Recognize work of FOCUS stakeholders and leaders

• Integrate new participants and deepen commitment of all to FOCUS and its work

Real School Food Showcase

• Will take place at Annual Meeting

• Will link large districts with hand-picked, well-vetted vendors that meet FOCUS criteria

• Attendees can sample foods, learn how they are produced, speak to vendors

• Procurement change case studies from 4 FOCUS districts

Annual Meeting Program

• Currently in development

• Planning Team

• LIT input

Annual Meeting Program

Thursday, March 25

• Tour of Chicago School Food led by Bob Bloomer

• Registration & welcome

• FOCUS orientation for new participants

• Reception

• Dinner & evening program: keynote by Janet Poppendieck

Annual Meeting Program

Friday, March 26

• FOCUS Real School Food Showcase

• Lunch catered by Wolfgang Puck

• Share learning from Showcase: Action research

• Roundtable discussions

• Sharing insights >> action steps

• Closure & evaluation

Annual Meeting Program

Saturday, March 27

• FOCUS caucuses, working groups, next steps

• Closure & evaluation

• Lunch & farewells

• FOCUS Leadership Integration Team meeting

Child Nutrition Reauthorization

• CNR expected to begin moving very soon; will likely move quickly

• Amount of additional funds for CNR uncertain

• Several bills include $50M for farm to school and FOCUS policy priorities

• Working closely with partners in DC on advocacy

What you can do for CNR

• Write, call, or visit your members of Congress

• Follow action alerts from our partners at Community Food Security Coalition, Food Research and Action Center, School Nutrition Association, and NYC Alliance for CNR

• Become involved in local or state efforts

• Join FOCUS Policy Working Group• Ask sdavidson@schoolfoodfocus.org for more info

NYC Alliance for CNR

• Coalition of organizations and individuals, educators, nutrition experts, and other New Yorkers united around CNR

• Goals:• End child hunger and food insecurity• Ensure that all children have access to nutritious

foods• Reduce childhood obesity and ensure healthy

children• Support regional farm and food economies while

creating jobs and protecting the environment

NYC Alliance for CNR

Activities include:

• Creating and implementing letter writing campaigns

• Events such as site visits for Congressional delegates to child nutrition programs

• Media campaigns

• Congressional visits and grassroots organizing

One Tray Team

One Tray Team

• School Food FOCUS

• National Farm to School Network

• Community Food Security Coalition

USDA

USDA is addressing recommendations from One Tray’s ‘What Can USDA Do?’ including:

• Change in geographic preference language

• Farm to School Tactical Teams

• Research priorities including mapping local food projects, identifying gaps in supply chain, surveying kitchen equipment

• Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) meeting to provide recommendations on supply chain challenges

• New websites aimed at local procurement• Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food• Farm to School

USDA

What you can do

• Provide input to USDA when requested• Current opportunity: FNS roundtable at SNA

Legislative Action Conference in DC• Let us know if you will attend meeting

and would like to participate

• Apply for Tactical Team site visit

Evaluation

Please answer the following, either verbally or via email to mmodzelewski@schoolfoodfocus.org:

• What from this call was most valuable to you?

• What would you like to hear covered in future calls?

• What would have made this call better for you?

Thank you!