In 2019, USDA’s Team Nutrition awarded a training grant to the Michigan Department of Education to implement a two-year training program for School Nutrition Managers called E-STAR. E-STAR is intended to improve school meal quality and student perceptions of meal quality. This study examined how the grantee implemented E-STAR, participant engagement, and facilitators and barriers to engagement. 

USDA's nutrition assistance programs touch the lives of one in four American consumers annually and the nutrition education efforts associated with select programs offer a powerful opportunity to fight hunger and improve dietary quality among eligible individuals and families.

This executive summary describes Team Nutrition (TN) and findings from a pilot evaluation of the initiative. Detailed research findings are contained in two separate reports.