As part of a cooperative agreement with USDA FNS to develop and implement the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is offering recognition awards to celebrate school food authorities (SFA) that have made improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals. The recognition awards will 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. The application process has been streamlined to make it easier for school nutrition professionals to apply and be recognized!
Find the recognition awards categories and criteria, the application portal, and helpful resources to complete the application on the Action for Healthy Kids website.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through June 30, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their results within two months of submission.
Eligibility Criteria
SFA's must participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands.
SFA's may apply for any of the awards at any point during the application period, but may only receive each award once.
Benefits
SFAs meeting recognition award criteria will receive the following:
- National and local recognition through traditional and social media.
- Awardee toolkit that includes promotional resources for use on the web, social media, and traditional media.
- Travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit.
- Access to diverse best practices from recognition awardees, stakeholder engagement, training and technical assistance activities, and Healthy Meals Summits.
Awardee Spotlight
The map below features the SFAs that have received a Recognition Award. The map will be updated on a rolling basis as additional SFAs receive Recognition Awards. More information about the awardees and their best practices can be found on the Action for Healthy Kids website.