Last Bite the
the Policy Pulse with
Truth Time
with Chef Sharon Schaefer
CHEF CHECK
Back-to-School: Civil Rights
LunchAssist Jennifer McNeil, RDN, SNS
Chef Check
The goal of the USDA’s annual, mandatory Civil Rights training requirement is to help school nutrition professionals learn and identify the general Civil Rights requirements and the reasons why attention to Civil Rights is so important. As school nutrition professionals, it is our responsibility to ensure that all of the children and families we care for are treated with equality, respect, and access to our nutritious meals and that they are welcomed with open arms regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. We can’t follow through on these promises if we are unconsciously biased against some program participants. For this reason, we feel it is important and relevant that when we talk about civil rights, we
also focus on equity, inclusion, and our nation’s continuous battle to grant equal rights to all people. While there have been many important milestones in the American civil rights journey, this back-to-school season we are reminded that many people are still fighting to gain the same civil rights that other citizens are so privileged to have. We know y’all are busy dealing with staffing shortages and just trying to put food on the table amidst massive supply chain issues, so we’ve got three great resources to help you out: • Fifteen-minute training video on Civil Rights • Same as above, but en Español! • Fall Checklist: reference this all season to stay on track with Civil Rights requirements, and more!
As you welcome students back to campus inyet another unprecedented, and challenging year, remember that it is our duty and responsibility to ensure that all school children have access to nutritious meals no matter who they are, where they live, what language(s) they speak, what they look like, if they have a disability, if their families are rich or poor, if they are a boy or a girl, or if they are gender non-conforming. We proudly welcome all children to our meal programs regardless of what boxes they do or do not fit into, and no matter what challenges are thrown our way. We are school nutrition professionals. And we make magic happen in school cafeterias all day everyday!
Chef Sharon joined First Taste TV during season one for her segment “Chef Check.” In this episode the team plays a game that shows how we can “Bring the Flavor Back” to school lunch!
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https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4jvINHPh2U8
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iSWNsMRfjnQ
FREE DOWNLOAD Click here to download the Fall 2021 School Nutrition Program Checklist!
Click here to watch the fifteen-minute training video on Civil Rights in English!
Click here to watch the fifteen-minute training video on Civil Rights en Español!
Jennifer McNeil, RDN, SNS Co-Founder, LunchAssist
Since childhood Sharon was on a quest to make healthy food taste great! That love of all things delicious led her to The Culinary Institute of America. After completing her externship at The Food Network, Sharon discovered a world of how to share great food through media. Owner of Evolution of the Lunch Lady, LLC, and Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Gretna Public Schools, Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS frequently takes her culinary chops and K12 experience on the road as a highly sought after Key Note Speaker and school nutrition trainer. Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS Resident Chef, NxtGen Network; Owner of Evolution of a Lunch Lady, LLC Director of Food & Nutrition Services, Gretna Public Schools
Jennifer McNeil, RDN, SNS is a former award-winning Child Nutrition Director and the Founder of LunchAssist. She was raised in America’s Farm-to-Fork capital where she developed a passion and appreciation for local produce. She enjoys helping child nutrition directors cut through the administrative red tape so they can focus energy on serving the healthiest, freshest meals possible. LunchAssist PRO is the newest community in school nutrition where members have exclusive access to hundreds of school nutrition resources and over 12 hours of fun and empowering professional development specifically designed for this school year. See what all the buzz is all about by visiting www.lunchassist.org.
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