REGION – Six school nutrition directors representing seven school districts covering 48 schools in Western Maine have been participating in a formal workgroup to improve school nutrition since December of last year.

The workgroup members include Paula Rouillard of the Auburn School Department, Alisa Roman of the Lewiston Public Schools, David Roberts of SAD 52 in Turner, Betty Hayes of RSU 16 in Poland, Amy Bacon of SAD 15 in Gray-New Gloucester, and Jeanne LaPointe of both RSU 10 in Rumford-Dixfield-Buckfield and SAD 44 in Bethel.

The workgroup’s model is based on the successful 5210 Let’s Go! program established in southern Maine, and is facilitated by Let’s Go! Androscoggin coordinator Jana Thompson and Let’s Go! Oxford County coordinator Carl Costanzi. With the goal of meeting the new USDA guidelines for improving school lunch, the school nutrition directors meet regularly to identify obstacles, share ideas and approaches and help one another improve food for school children every day. Five of these workgroups exist across the state.

Recently, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Foundation, a long-time sponsor of 5210 Let’s Go!, offered a grants program to support the workgroups. Five of these directors were able to apply and receive funding in the amount of $5,000. This funding was used at the discretion of the school nutrition director to increase the nutritional quality of, assist staff in implementing the new federal standards of and to market and promote the benefits of school meals.

For information on the new federal standards of school meals, visit www.fns.usda.gov/child-nutrition-programs.

Paula Rouillard of the Auburn School Department discussed how she used some of her grant money to buy attractive fruit baskets to highlight fruit in the school lunch line. “Since we implemented these new fruit baskets,” she said, “fruit consumption at the high school has doubled!”

Carl Costanzi and Jana Thompson, as facilitators of the workgroup, also received $5,000 in funding to provide a staff training for these involved districts.

On Aug. 26, 50 kitchen staff members attended a training to energize them in playing a role in the childhood obesity epidemic by promoting the healthier options offered in their school lunch program. The training was held at the Culinary Arts Facility at Central Maine Community College. The training covered the significance of this epidemic, how to understand the complex new federal regulations, customer service and promotion of the healthier choice, as well as proper knife skills with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Trainers included Stephanie Stambach of Child Nutrition Services, Maine Department of Education, Heidi Kessler, School Nutrition coordinator from Let’s Go!, Blair Currier, chef from the Portland Public Schools, and Austin Perreault, chef and director of CMCC’s Culinary Arts program. Each participating staff member left with their own chef’s knife and sharpener and will be receiving a new Let’s Go! chef’s coat.