The Plainville Community Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Department has earned national recognition with the “USDA Healthy Meals Incentive Award for Innovation in Nutrition Education,” according to Food and Nutrition Services Director, Ashley Carl.
The recognition is awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK). According to the award letter, Innovation in Nutrition Education Award winners implemented nutrition education activities that made classroom, cafeteria, community, and home connections for students and parents/guardians.
“This award focuses on the nutrition education our Farm to school Coordinator, Maya Wolanin, provided during the “Harvest of the Month Taste Tests” and nutrition education lessons that she delivered in classrooms across the school district,” explained Carl. “Additionally, the award highlights the local products that are served on the district’s school menus each month.”
The award application highlights that in Plainville Community Schools, nutrition education has become a core initiative spanning classrooms, cafeterias, and the entire school community. Since 2024, the school district’s Food and Nutrition Services Department has continued to add and enhance a variety of nutrition education activities which build upon their success and incorporate new elements to increase their reach and impact. This past year, Harvest of the Month taste tests were conducted monthly at each Plainville elementary school. During the taste tests, students sampled locally grown/made products from Connecticut, and Food and Nutrition Services Department personnel provided nutrition education, including the health benefits associated with the locally grown / made products. After each taste test, newsletters were sent home to families highlighting information about the food items students taste tested, why they tried it, the benefits of the food/product, and a recipe. The goal of the initiative was to expose students to new foods and cultivate understanding about why they are good for them, impacting their food choices now and throughout their lives.
The award application also spotlights efforts during National Nutrition Month, when the Plainville Community Schools' Food and Nutrition Services Department led a series of engaging and impactful initiatives that promoted healthy eating and nutrition awareness across the district. The department partnered with Louis Toffolon Elementary School Art Teacher, Alexandra Gray, to create a bulletin board using student artwork to teach how “ Food Connects Us.” The Toffolon students drew and sculpted art on paper plates highlighting their favorite foods. The bulletin board also included resources from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which all staff and students can scan through various QR codes. Nutrition education lessons aligned with the National Nutrition Month themes were also shared with students from preschool through high school. Preschool students created food themed necklaces as a fun and meaningful way to demonstrate the “Food Connects Us” message, while high school students learned about nutrition and dietetics, including the role of a dietitian and career path connections.
The Healthy Meal Incentive Awards 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 – all as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.
“We’re incredibly proud of the impactful work Maya, our Farm to School Coordinator, has accomplished throughout the district. This recognition is a direct result of her dedication and hard work over the school year,” added Carl.
“The number one ingredient of the PCS Food and Nutrition Services program is a passion for healthy food. We are very proud of this acknowledgement of our program,” said Superintendent of Schools, Brian Reas.