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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Office of P-20 Education Policy
Child Nutrition Program Administration
89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 473-8781 Fax: (518) 473-0018
To: 
School Food Service Directors/Managers
From: 
Child Nutrition Program Administration
Date: 
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Subject: 
Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards for School Food Authorities

As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is offering Recognition Awards to celebrate School Food Authorities (SFA) that have made significant improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals. The Recognition Awards will spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Recognition Awards categories and criteria, application portal, and helpful resources to complete the application are available at https://healthymealsincentives.org/recognition-awards/. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through June 30, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their results within two months of submission.

Eligibility Criteria

SFAs must participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program.

SFAs may apply for any of the awards at any point during the application period, but may only receive each award once. SFAs who meet the Recognition Award criteria will receive national and local recognition, as well as an awardee toolkit that includes digital assets, and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit. FNS and AFHK will highlight and share diverse best practices nationwide from Recognition Awardees through traditional and social media, stakeholder engagement, training and technical assistance activities, and Healthy Meals Summits.

Informational Webinar

On September 21, 2023, AFHK will host an informational webinar about the Recognition Awards, from 3:00 – 4:00pm EST. This webinar will provide an overview of the Recognition Awards including information about eligibility, the application process, technical assistance, and more. Register for the webinar here.

Questions

Questions may be sent to awards@healthymealsincentives.org.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

  1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
  2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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