Monday, June 30, 2014 – Hawai‘i Island charter schools are invited to share best practices and lend support to one another to build capacity for schools’ USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program AND School Lunch Program. Many Charter Schools on Hawai‘i Island are moving forward to create a healthy and nutritious snack and lunch program for their students. Because each charter school is its own school food authority, the flexibility for purchasing and being innovative and creative with school food is evident in many of the programs on Hawai‘i Island. Each is unique and has practices that should be shared!

This will be a great time to share school practices around the USDA FFVP which can sometimes be difficult to figure out, and the school lunch service, which has its own unique challenges.

Each charter school is in a different place with this process and we think that by coming together, sharing our practices and visions for our school food service, we will become connected and may be able to figure out next steps that would not be possible until we know this information.

Jennifer Dang, State Department of Education, Hawai’i Child Nutrition Programs (GCNP) office, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Coordinator for the USDA Program will be coming from Honolulu to join us, as will Sue Uyehara the State Director of the Office of HCNP.  These two very innovative women, have immense knowledge of creating healthy food programs and would love to meet and discuss ways that these programs can grow across the State. See their website at www.hcnp.hawaii.gov.