CalFresh Healthy Living, UC
Active News Beet
September 23, 2019
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In this issue of the Active News Beet...
UC State Office Specific Topics
CalFresh Healthy Living General Items of Interest
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Juicy Bites from the Field
“This class series taught me something every day - from calories, to learning how to read the nutrition facts, and trying new food. I also learned how to look at the unit cost on the products and that sometimes it's good to buy generic. But above all, I learned how to portion out my food and using the MyPlate guide. I would recommend this class to everyone."
—Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshop Participant, Fresno County
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Upcoming Events and Deadlines
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2020 CalFresh Healthy Living Forum - Poster Sessions
Date/time:
February 10-12, 2020
Located at the Hyatt Regency Orange County, in Garden Grove, California.
Description:
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS), and its state partners, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California Department of Aging (CDA), CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California (CFHL – UC), and Catholic Charities of California (CCC) are excited to share news about the 2020 CalFresh Healthy Living Poster Session.
In addition to guest speakers and learning labs, the 2020 CalFresh Healthy Living Forum will include a Poster Session that will provide LIAs with the opportunity to share and exchange information via poster. LIAs can use their respective poster to showcase information pertaining to the following poster themes:
- Community Engagement
- Quality Direct Education
- Partnership/Coalition Work
Registration or Application Information
Registration for the Poster Session will open Monday, September 30 and close Friday, November 1st.
Additional information and details regarding the Poster Session to follow. If you have any questions, please contact ts_registration@csus.edu
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FFY19 Annual Reporting Templates - Early Release
At the request of some counties, we are disseminating the 2019 Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) annual reporting templates earlier than previous years. They can be found on the home page of the website on the bottom right in a blue box or downloaded by clicking on the links below:
Reporting Timeline:
- Thursday, Oct 31st, 2019 - State office to send program summary data from PEARS to populate Section B of the annual report template and all evaluation survey summary results to incorporate into the Overview section. Note: Evaluation survey results will be disseminated on a “rolling basis” and posted in Box. Emails will be sent to alert programs when files have been posted.
- Monday, Nov. 25th, 2019 – First draft of county report and county profile due. Please save the file in Box in the Annual Report folder that has been added for your county/cluster.
- Friday, Dec 13th, 2019 – By this date, State Office staff will review and provide feedback via comments in the files saved in Box.
- Friday, Dec 20th, 2019 – Final version of county report and county profile with revisions due. Please save the final versions in Box.
Please reach out to your UC CalFresh State Office County Contact if you have any additional questions or need assistance.
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Office Hours for Tracking and Reporting Forms
We will be holding Office hours for the first couple of weeks beginning in October to answer any questions you might have about using the new Tracking and Reporting Forms for FFY2020.
All of the forms, instructions and training materials have been posted to our Website on the PEARS Program Activities Page.
Please ensure that you have taken time to download and review the forms, instructions and training webinar prior to attending one of the office hours sessions. |
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Revised “And Justice for All” Poster (version AD-475-B)
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The Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights has instructed all USDA agencies to halt the distribution of the “And Justice For All” (AJFA) posters featuring the Statue of Liberty. At present, new AJFA posters have been developed and are pending printing.
Key points:
- State agencies (and subrecipients who distribute posters) should cease distribution of the current posters (Revised December 2015).
- State agencies (and subrecipients who distribute posters) should dispose of their existing supplies of the current posters. Recycling is encouraged.
- Current posters do not need to be removed from display in State and Local agencies. They should be replaced when the updated posters are received and distributed.
- The current (2015) poster should be removed from websites, training presentations and any pending printing of brochures, pamphlets and materials as soon as possible. Replace the graphic with the appropriate PDF version which is available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cr/and-justice-all-posters-guidance-and-translations
- State and local agencies should not print and display the PDF versions in their locations. Rather they should wait for the official posters to be printed and distributed.
Program Directive 2018-05 has been updated to reference the updated version of the “And Justice for All” poster, revised July 2019. This poster must be displayed at sites where CalFresh Healthy Living is delivered.
This update can be found on the UC State Office website under Administration > Program Administration > Program Directives
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Welcome New Staff
New staff are featured in the first newsletter of the month. To include your new staff member in next month's update, email a short bio and photo to Elizabeth Egelski.
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Julie Lefko, CES II, Santa Clara County
Julie is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate with a B.S. in Nutrition. She has worked for YMCA of the East Bay and Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo providing nutrition education for children and adults. She is excited to be working with the schools and community in Santa Clara County! During her free time you can find Julie hiking, playing tennis, cooking, and exploring the California coast.
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*New* School Garden Assessment Tool
A new School Garden Assessment Tool was just added to the UC State Office website under Initiatives > Gardening. A webinar was held on September 19th to introduce the tool and the slides have been posted. Due to a technical issue, the webinar recording is not available. However, the UC State Office will be holding a second training at the end of October. Stay tuned for details.
Both the Webinar information and the School Garden Assessment Tool can be found under Evaluation Resources section of the Gardening initiative page. See below for more information.
School Garden Assessment Tool Webinar
- The School Garden Assessment Tool webinar was held on September 19, 2019, presented by Liz Egelski, Barbara MkNelly, and MaryAnn Mills. It provides an overview of the new CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California’s School Garden Assessment Tool available for use in FFY 2020. Topics include: background of the Tool’s development; why, when, and how to use this Tool; a review of the Tool and sample entry; and expectations for using this Tool, along with PEARS reporting guidance.
- Please review this webinar before using the School Garden Assessment Tool.
- Slides | Webinar
School Garden Assessment Tool
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The School Garden Assessment Tool should be used identify and track areas of improvement in school garden programming. This Tool should be used by Programs who are currently implementing school garden projects and are ready to assess the current state of the garden in order to expand and/or improve garden-related programming, as well as to track efforts through reassessment.
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FFY20 is the first year of implementation of this Tool. As such, we encourage Programs using this Tool in FFY20 to provide feedback via a Feedback Form, linked below. This document provides guidance for commenting on best practices, design and ease of use, content, and whether the Tool meets your programmatic needs. The UC State Office will use this information in consideration of improvements to the Tool.
- If you have any questions about the Tool or Feedback Form, please contact Elizabeth Egelski (eegelski@ucdavis.edu) or Barbara MkNelly (bmknelly@ucdavis.edu).
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CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in Action!
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Successful Migrant Early Childcare Education Training for Davis and Madison Teachers, UCCE Yolo County
The Yolo County CalFresh Healthy Living, UC team conducted a Spanish, half-day teacher training for Migrant early childcare education professionals. The training focused on the implementation of preschool nutrition kits and CATCH physical activity curricula. Preschool teachers learned how the curricula can be utilized for meeting the required preschool state standards, Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP). The training took place at a migrant education center in Yolo County. Thirty early childcare teachers from Davis and Madison Migrant housing sites attended the training. Teachers participated in experiential lessons, physical activity exercises, and taste testing.
In this fun, interactive training, teachers were encouraged to play the role of preschool students. According to the training evaluation, pretending to be preschoolers increased the teacher’s enjoyment of the training, and allowed them to understand their students, especially regarding the topic of trying new foods.
One teacher happily noted, “I enjoyed being able to do the activities, it made me feel like a kid again!”
One hundred percent of teachers attending expressed increased confidence and competence on the use and purpose of the nutrition materials and how the lessons meet the DRDP measures. After this training, evaluation outcome shows all teachers are more willing to make use of the CATCH physical activity curriculum in their classrooms. In addition, 100% of teachers feel confident to conduct a taste testing on their own and understand why taste-testing evaluations are collected.
Throughout the training, teachers tasted a variety of fruit-infused water. For many, this was a new method to flavoring water and they were excited to implement this idea at their site with the preschoolers and at home with their families. The culminating event was a ‘graduation ceremony’, which awarded each teacher a certificate of participation.
One teacher said, “I look forward to using these kits. Each lesson is well written, easy to follow, and I can document many measures with one activity.”
Another remarked, “These kits make my job and lesson planning easier! The activities are simple and fun!”
Yet another stated, “One of the strategies that I learned is to use physical activity equipment in multiple ways to keep my students active.”
Overall, teachers who attended the training expressed high satisfaction. They felt more competent of the ECE preschool nutrition and CATCH lessons and confident to lead them into their classroom.
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The SNAC Team Kicks Off a New Year!, UCCE Tulare County
CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California, joined forces with Foodlink, United Health Centers, Altura Centers for Health, CHOICES After School Program, Wilson, Roosevelt, and Alila Elementary Schools to prepare for another successful school farmers market!
The Farmers Market Committee met during the summer to discuss pluses and deltas of the program. The schools located in Tulare decided to try something new and implement an application and interview process. Interviews were conducted at each school site to select the new Student Nutrition Action Council (SNAC). Each student was interviewed by their school principal and Nutrition Educator. Students were shown how to demonstrate interview etiquette skills; such as, the proper way to shake hands, effective communication skills, good posture, and projecting a confident voice. Demonstrating these behaviors to students allows them to build strong interview skills that can benefit them in their future. Students were asked what makes them a great candidate for the position, one student shared, “I think I should be on the team because I want to learn how to be healthy and help others be healthy and not eat junk food.” They all demonstrated respect, dedication, and interest in being part of their school farmers market to make a healthy difference.
The new SNAC teams have officially kicked off the School Farmers Market at all three school sites! Students, parents, teachers, and community received fresh fruits and vegetables; such as apples, bell peppers, plums, parsley, apricots, and squash at no cost. Taste tests are also offered to provide the students and community with a chance of trying new foods; such as, Zucchini sticks with cottage cheese dip and a three-sister salad. Students are always open to trying new foods and encouraging their parents as well!
Taste test is measured by using the large taste testing tools and using observation sheets at every site.
Stay tuned for more farmers market news!
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Wilson SNAC students distributing apples.
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Roosevelt SNAC students working as a team distributing yellow squash.
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Principal of Roosevelt Elementary teaching a student how to properly shake hands for an interview.
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Conferences and Training Opportunities
Conferences and Training Opportunities are featured as they are announced and then again shortly prior to the training date. Click here or on the 'View all upcoming trainings..." button to see the complete list of upcoming trainings.
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Webinar: How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Household
Organization:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Date/time:
September 24, 2019 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
Description:
Why are we so susceptible to wasting food? What do date labels really mean? What can I do to reduce food waste in my life? On this webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we cover these topics and more. The webinar will feature guest speakers from:
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- University of California, Berkeley
There will also be a Q&A session at the end for attendees.
This is the first in a series of USDA webinars as part of the “Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative,” a collaborative effort among USDA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration to affirm their shared commitment to work towards the national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030. Visit www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste to learn more.
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Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit
Resource:
Communications toolkit
Organization:
USDA Food and Nutrition Services
Description:
The Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit provides ready made communication tools like flyers, presentations, newsletter articles, and social media messaging, to engage partners around school wellness policy issues and updates.
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Funding Opportunities
Funding Opportunities are featured as they are announced and then again shortly prior to the deadline. Click here or on the 'View all funding opportunities" button to see a complete list of on-going funding opportunities and funding with specific deadlines.
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Call for Applications - Culture of Health Prize
Organization:
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Description:
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) recognizes communities working together to transform neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and more—so that the opportunity for better health flourishes for all.
Join an informational applicant webinar on September 24 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Deadline:
Applications are due by November 04, 2019, 12:00 pm PT
For more information:
More details and registration for the webinar are available on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
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2020 YOUTH GARDEN GRANT
Organization:
KidsGardening
Description:
Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities.
Who is Eligible to Apply:
Any nonprofit organization, public or private school, or youth program in the United States or US Territories planning a new garden program or expanding an established one that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 3 and 18 is eligible to apply. The selection of winners is based on demonstrated program impact and sustainability. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply must wait one year after receiving the award and must prove that their garden programs have been significantly expanded.
The 2020 Youth Garden Grant is sponsored by KidsGardening’s generous donor base and our Blossom and Seed Money sponsors.
Deadline:
Applications are due Monday, December 16, 2019.
All applications must be submitted online. You can download a copy of the questions to view ahead of time as a Word document or .pdf file. We strongly advise saving the questions into a Word document and then copying and pasting the answers into the application rather than composing your answers directly into the online form. Many browsers are set to time out after 30 minutes of inactivity (or sometimes sooner) and so you may loose your work if it takes longer than your browser's setting to complete or save your entry.
Notification and Award Fulfillment:
Winners will be announced and contacted by email on Friday, January 31, 2020. Awards will be distributed in February 2020.
Grant Application Technical Support:
Click here for more information
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Teaching Gardens Network Grant Program
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| Teaching Gardens® Network grants available |
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The American Heart Association is getting children excited about eating healthy foods through Teaching Gardens® — real-life learning labs where students can learn what it means to be healthy. And you and your school can participate!
We want every child to develop healthy eating habits, have access to nutritious foods and understand where fruits and vegetables come from. That’s where our Teaching Gardens® Network comes in. You’ll get a hands-on learning experience through school garden support and standards-based curriculum.
Just apply to our garden grant program, which is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year. Participating schools get access to free gardening resources, a national garden network, name recognition on our Teaching Gardens® Network website and a certificate of participation.
Teaching Gardens® Network grants are made possible by Kelly Meyer, founder of OneSun Fund, and Gail Becker, CEO of Caulipower.
Just review the rules, join the Teaching Gardens ® Network and apply for garden grant at this link no later than Oct. 11, 2019 at 5 p.m. EST. Questions? Contact teachinggardens@heart.org. |
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Employment Opportunities
Employment Opportunities are featured as they are announced and then again shortly prior to the deadline.
Community Education Specialist 1 or 2, UCCE Riverside County
Classification/Title:
Community Education Specialist 1 or 2, 80% FTE
Location:
Indio, CA
Duties/Responsibilities:
The Community Education Specialist will perform the full range of program implementation duties. Incumbent will be responsible for the coordination, management, and delivery of nutrition education to community based adults and/or youth. This includes training, guiding, and supporting volunteer extenders with education, information and resources; evaluating program implementation; collecting and compiling enrollment, documentation, and evaluation data from volunteer extenders and participants; entering data into shared database and writing reports in compliance with funding requirements.
This position's primary focus will be on conducting, managing, and evaluating a nutrition education program to improve the environment of the school and community.
This position includes communication to clients in Spanish through translation, presentation, and one-on-one communications.
Closing Date:
September 27th, 2019
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Community Education Specialist 1 or 2, UCCE Kings County
Classification/Title:
Community Education Specialist 1 or 2
Location:
Hanford, CA
Duties/Responsibilities:
The Community Education Specialist will perform the full range of program implementation duties. Incumbent will be responsible for the coordination, management, and delivery of nutrition education to community based adults and/or youth. This includes training, guiding, and supporting volunteer extenders with education, information and resources; evaluating program implementation; collecting and compiling enrollment, documentation, and evaluation data from volunteer extenders and participants; entering data into shared database and writing reports in compliance with funding requirements.
This position's primary focus will be on conducting, managing, and evaluating a nutrition education program to improve the environment of the school and community.
This position includes communication to clients in Spanish through translation, presentation, and one-on-one communications.
Closing Date:
September 27th, 2019
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We want to hear from you!
Please email Elizabeth Egelski to share your comments, stories, photos, or other items you would like to see featured in future Active News Beet issues.
Active News Beet newsletters are sent by the CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California State Office on behalf of the Director, Kamaljeet Singh-Khaira.. Past issues of the Active News Beet can be viewed here.
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