CHICAGO, November 12, 2024 – Action for Healthy Kids and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announced that 17 school districts received 18 Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards in October for trailblazing and innovative work in improving the nutritional quality of their school meals.

The HMI Recognition Awards Program recognizes and celebrates school districts that make operational changes to improve the planning and preparation of nutritious school meals, as well as those that engage students and families in menu planning and nutrition education. The awards also celebrate school districts that are working to meet USDA’s updates to the school nutrition standards. These standards ensure that school meals are nutritious by offering more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while reducing added sugars and sodium. The Recognition Awards showcase the efforts of schools to enhance meal quality and foster a culture of nutrition awareness among students and their families.

Learn About the Awardees:

• Athens City Schools (Alabama) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award

• Ashdown School District 31 (Arkansas) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award

• Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District (California) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award

• Evergreen School District (California) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award

• San Ysidro School District (California) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award

• Cobb County School District (Georgia) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award

• Community Regional Charter School (Maine) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award

• Littleton Public School District (Massachusetts) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award

• Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional District (Massachusetts) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award

• Calhoun County Juvenile Home School (Michigan) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award

• Athena-Weston School District 29RJ (Oregon) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award

• Unionville Chadds Ford School District (Pennsylvania) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award

• Lewisville Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award

• East Central Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award and the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award

• Lamoille North Modified Unified School District (Vermont) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award

• Highline Public Schools (Washington) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award

• Port Angeles School District (Washington) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award

A map of all the Recognition awardees and more information about their awards can be found on the Recognition Awardees webpage.

“Action for Healthy Kids and the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service would like to congratulate these school districts on the progress they’ve made in their nutrition programs this school year,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer/President of Action for Healthy Kids. “We applaud the staff who have worked hard to prepare fresh, appealing, and delicious meals for their students.”

School districts can apply for one or more of the following HMI Recognition Awards:

• Breakfast Trailblazer
• Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer
• Lunch Trailblazer
• Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer
• Innovative School Lunch Makeover
• Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals
• Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals
• Innovation in Nutrition Education

“The Recognition Awards highlight the progress our schools are making in improving the quality of school breakfast and lunch,” said Cindy Long, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “We’re seeing incredible efforts and innovative accomplishments by school nutrition professionals, as they provide their students with healthy, nutritious meals.”

The Recognition Awards application can be found on the HMI website. School districts are eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards if they participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis over a two-year application period ending June 30, 2025.

ABOUT USDA’S FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC, and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.

ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS

Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn more about its growing network of

volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org.