Tucson Unified School District
Tucson, AZ

Food Service Managers in this district are charged with the responsibility of nutrition education at their schools. In addition to classroom presentations, managers have assisted teachers in nutrition lessons, shown nutrition videos during meal times, distributed nutrition activity sheets, conducted field trips through their site kitchens and displayed posters. Their creative nutrition promotions warrant some special attention here.

Duffy Elementary
Tucson, AZ

Marcia Little has conducted two popular events this year at her school. The first was "Start Your Engines" to encourage students to eat breakfast. Every student who participated in school breakfast received a car to color and post on the cafeteria wall. Students then received a sticker to adorn their car each day they returned for breakfast. Breakfast participation increased by 50% that week! More recently, she began a "Nutrition Express" theme in her cafeteria. Classes receive a large "railroad car" with the students names on it when they sign up for a nutrition class. Cars roll down the wall of the cafeteria for all to see. Every classroom in the school wanted to have their own car, and shortly after the promotion was announced the cafeteria had at least 10 cars on the walls!

Sewell Elementary School
Tucson, AZ

Sewell's Food Service Manager, Kim Mukelbust, placed a six-foot tall rocket ship in her cafeteria to invite the students to "Blast Off for Breakfast." Students received a star to color and add to the display when they had a school breakfast. After the promotion, this manager donated her display to other schools wanting to "blast off."

During the Dairy Council "Moo-It!" campaign, another school's Food Service Manager gave large cow poster cutouts to students to decorate the cafeteria. Younger students received small cow coloring pictures. After a few weeks, this cafeteria looked like a large dairy farm, to the delight of students and teachers alike. During this same promotion a year ago, another manager worked with the art teacher as kindergartners saved empty milk cartons until they had enough to assemble a three-dimensional cow, complete with both white and chocolate milk udders.

Many managers contribute to school newsletters and/or school menu hot-lines. Many work closely with physical education teachers, knowing that good nutrition and good physical fitness and exercise are a winning combination. Others have done taste tests for students to try new, healthy foods and to promote a "nutrition customer" friendly environment.