Education Session Information

Establishing who someone is and the value they bring to an organization are key components of communication in the workplace. In this one-hour training, participants will explore frameworks and tools they can employ to be more effective at communicating who they are and the value they bring to their organization. Participants will take a “deep dive” into the skills they need to assess and understand their audience, and how to develop an effective introduction for a specific audience.

 

Listening is a critical component to effective communication. This one-hour training explores participants' listening habits and provides tools and techniques to help improve conversations in the workplace. Specifically, participants will learn about the four levels of communication and will explore the productive listening learning model to improve their personal listening habits.

 

Conflict is common in the workplace and is something many of us look to avoid but having the proper tools to deal with conflict can make all the difference when it eventually arises. This one-hour training explores five different conflict management styles and how each is used to approach difficult conversations with coworkers and/or stakeholders. This training will provide participants with effective tools to approach conflict in the workplace to achieve more positive outcomes.

 

The last few years have included unprecedented challenges for those working in education, including school nutrition staff who became superheroes in making sure children were fed. Finding time for adult self-care seemed nearly impossible and our bodies and minds often suffered. Join this session to learn quick, easy strategies for self-care and de-stressing that can immediately be integrated into your day. Leave knowing how to assess where you are with self-care and how to create your own personalized self-care plan.

 

 

Are YOU one of the school nutrition professionals in North Carolina that has a creative side, and you want others to see what you have to offer?  Do you have a competitive nature?  If so, Culinary Arts is perfect for YOU and so is this session. When you leave the session, you will have a greater understanding and be prepared to compete in June 2024.  Topics covered will include what is culinary arts and the rules, what judges are looking for, past winners, and common mistakes.  This will be a great info session for someone who has never participated before or who may have had entries disqualified.  

The Nutrition Committee has stirred up their gifts and looking forward to sharing creative ways to promote National School Lunch Week (NSLW).  Attendees will leave the session with a craft that can be recreated at each school that your students are sure to love.  We want you to be prepared for the celebration that will occur in October 2023.  You are guaranteed to have a great time working with your colleagues across the state and may even make a new friend. 

 

Come join the NCDA Team and learn of all the different ways that we could be “The Secret Ingredient” that you are missing.  We will share with you all the services we provide in efforts to help you be successful.   This will include ways our Field Services Team can help you incorporate Farm to School and/or local products in your menus, how to best utilize your entitlement dollars, and introducing you to our Team members that I call “Rock Stars” showing you who to go to when you need assistance.

 

Come join the NCDA Team and learn the ABC’s of “Farm to School”.  Learn what is in season when, how and when to order Farm to School products, tips on preparing fresh produce, and recipes and menus showing many ways these products can be used.  Looking ahead into what the future of Farm to School looks like and the utilizing of your LFS Grant funds will also be covered.

 

 

HACCP is a critical part of your everyday routine.  This session will bring clarity on the need for maintaining logs and what could happen if you don’t have those.  

Come learn how Culinary Medicine is leading the way in treating and preventing chronic disease including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.  Effectively known as “The Art of Food and Cooking meets the science of Nutrition and Medicine.”  Culinary Medicine allows us to focus on healthier eating but also includes tips and techniques for making meal preparation more efficient and enjoyable for even the most novice cook.  Join the UNCG Dietetic Interns as they prepare an Energy Bite recipe that makes an easy to prepare, portable snack that provides a nutritional punch!

A positive dining experience is extremely important so customers will enjoy it and return.  Learn simple, practical ways (at no-to-little costs) to ensure students, teachers, and others buying school meals and eating in the school’s dining room are glad they did!

 

What is my personality type?  How do I work with my co-workers that have a different type than I do to build a team?  Know any whiners, gossipers, or pity-partiers?

Introducing innovative breakfast programs can dramatically increase your breakfast participation.  Learn from Henderson County’s Robert Rolfe on how to initiate and implement Breakfast in the Classroom and Second Chance breakfast programs.

 

Have you ever wanted to do something you thought would be good, but didn’t know where to start?  Participants will learn the start to finish ins and outs of successfully working with their school system and their community to plan and implement a Farm to School Program in their district.  Whether you are thinking about it, have done a form of it or are an expert, come learn new ways to enhance students’ learning while serving them delicious, nutritious local Got to Be NC!

 

How to start a new chapter and how to make a good chapter (or not so good) into a great one.  Come to this session and hear fantastic ways to create an environment that your staff will have a hard time not wanting to be a part of.  Learn ways to make them an “offer they can’t refuse”.   

You know more than anyone that children in North Carolina are held back by hunger and we can improve student outcomes and strengthen our communities by making breakfast and lunch available in North Carolina public schools at not cost to families.  Join the North Carolina Alliance for Health to talk about the campaign for School Meals for All in North Carolina, and how you can use your experiences and knowledge to make a difference for kids across the state.

 

Come explore the great and exciting opportunities that await you when you come the next leader in SNA.  Hear how some of our past leaders began their road to leadership.   Whether at the local, district, state or national level, YOU can become the next FUTURE LEADER in SNA.  

School Nutrition Programs are bound by many regulatory requirements for specific portion sizes, meal pattern credits, and sufficient record keeping for meal production. All of these may have you wondering - do I use a scale or a measuring cup? What are they asking for? Weights and measures are often confused, and kitchen math can often seem intimidating. Don’t let it weigh you down. Let’s take a measured approach and look at how these level out!

Students deserve attractive, high-quality meals so they are ready to learn and play. This session aims to encourage creativity, confidence, and excellent customer service to develop skills which help school nutrition staff provide enjoyable dining experiences. Take part to increase your proficiency in menu presentation, garnishing, and customer interaction which will entice students to return day after day!

 

Certification is an opportunity for professional growth and recognition.  Join this session to find out how easy it is and what doors will open for you once you are certified.  Once you leave, you will have the “411” and can share with others in your district.  

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Conflict in our daily relationships is not new.   It has existed throughout human history in narratives passed down from generation to generation.  Learn why conflict resolution is important and tips to address conflicts in our daily lives.

 

 

All leaders need to know how to build a cohesive and compelling narrative that is persuasive, as well as one that allows for feedback and innovation—both of which are critical to any collaborative process. In this four-hour training, participants will explore tools to help them more effectively communicate and collaborate. They will learn how to sharpen their skills of persuasion by employing evidence and strategies on moving an audience from one point to the next, gaining trust and buy-in through the presentation of a cohesive narrative.

 

Networking and understanding the value someone brings to an organization are essential to advancing one’s professionalism. In this 2-hour training, participants will receive a tour of frameworks and tools to help them more effectively communicate who they are and the value they bring to their organizations. Topics such as nonverbal communication, defining “your personal brand,” and networking are just some of the tools that will help participants communicate the unique value they bring to their school nutrition organization.