Fall 2024 Healthy Meals Summit
Join the Adventure!
Who:
When:
October 21-23, 2024
Where:
Caesar’s Palace
3570 S Las Vegas Blvd
Paradise, NV 89109
What:
This is a celebration of innovation, aimed at turbocharging the nutritional quality of school meals! Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award recipients will gather together and be part of an epic quest for excellence. The Fall Summit isn’t merely a meeting, but a catalyst for professional development and change. The Fall Summit will equip school nutrition professionals with the tools and knowledge to conquer school nutrition goals and elevate the nutritional quality of your school meals.
Featuring breakout sessions and dynamic roundtable discussions, the Summit’s action-packed agenda will be a driving force, allowing awardees to present their incredible success stories and trade secrets for boosting the nutritional quality of school meals. This is a summit of possibilities, a powerhouse of transformation.
Get ready to Join the Adventure and set the stage for an extraordinary journey towards progress and innovation!
Keynote Speakers
Chef Curtis Aikens
As one of the original celebrity chefs and a former host and founding chef of The Food Network, Chef Curtis Aikens has educated and entertained food lovers since 1988. Mentored by Julia Child, Chef Paul Prudhomme, The Green Grocer, Joe Carcione, and Edna Lewis, he is one of the few chefs featured in Julia Child’s kitchen at the Smithsonian. After learning to read at age 26 through Literacy Volunteers of America and the Marin County Free Library, Chef Curtis has authored seven books sharing his passion for the culinary world, along with his personal journey of struggle and success.
Dr. Deonna Smith
Dr. Deonna Smith is a former teacher, school leader, and educational justice advocate with over a decade of experience in K-12 and higher education. Through her work, Deonna witnessed inequities in school firsthand, but she also saw the potential for schools to be spaces of liberation and joy.Deonna earned her doctorate in education and social justice, focusing on making theories accessible and practical. Now, she works with education stakeholders nationwide to create joyful, inclusive, and equitable spaces for students.
Chef Ann Cooper
Chef Ann Cooper is a renowned author, chef, educator, and advocate for better food for all children. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, she has been a chef for over 30 years and has been featured in major publications like The New York Times and Time Magazine, and on media outlets such as CNN and NPR. Ann has spoken at notable institutions like the Smithsonian and received honors from SLOW Food USA, Kellogg Food and Society, and SUNY Cobleskill. In 2009, she founded the Chef Ann Foundation to tackle the school food crisis, with its key initiative, The Lunch Box, providing free tools for school food reform.
Summit Schedule 2024
Agenda:
Monday, October 21
Day 1
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Registration, Pre-Conference Sessions, Networking
Tuesday, October 22
Day 2
7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Breakfast, Lunch, Concurrent Sessions
Wednesday, October 23
Day 3
7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
**Agenda subject to change. More information to come.
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This material is based upon work that is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.