FNS Research Corner provides a continuing series to summarize recently completed and current research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the area of Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs). Summaries of recently completed research projects and in-progress research are provided in this article.

Child care centers, Head Start programs, and family child care providers serving young children--as well as after school programs and homeless shelters that reach older children, adults, and families--are supported in providing healthy meals and snacks by reimbursements through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Administered by the…

Background: Obesity is a major concern among American Indians and Hispanics. The Child Health Initiative for Lifelong Eating and Exercise (CHILE) is an evidence-based intervention to prevent obesity in children enrolled in 16 Head Start (HS) Centers in rural communities. The design and implementation of CHILE are described. Methods: CHILE uses a…

School nutrition directors face challenges on many fronts, from changing nutrition standards to addressing community interest in sustainability and local food sourcing. Programs are constantly changing to meet these new demands. How does a school business administrator know which changes will affect his/her school nutrition program positively? The…

Responsible Hospitality (RH)--also called Responsible Beverage Service (RBS)--encompasses a variety of strategies for reducing risks associated with the sale and service of alcoholic beverages. RH programs have three goals: (1) to prevent illegal alcohol service to minors; (2) to reduce the likelihood of drinkers becoming intoxicated; and (3) to…

A project was conducted to develop a course in cooking skills for high school students interested in preparing for jobs or seeking advanced vocational training in the food service occupations. During the first phase of the project, the course instructor, who is also the head cook at the high school, completed courses in cardiopulmonary…

In Ohio, a food service program is partnering with a national restaurant chain to help students with learning disabilities transition from school to work. The Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio, has a food service program satisfying the appetites of visitors, students and staff, as well as meeting the training goals of students with…

This project summary reviews and extends the findings of prior reports made by Abt Associates, Inc. (Cambridge, Massachusetts) on the Nutrition Education and Training (NET) program, synthesizes evaluation efforts in nutrition education, and presents a set of conclusions based on the evaluations of nutrition programs. Chapter 1 presents background…

A program was conducted by the Food and Beverage Workers Union in Washington, D.C., to provide workplace literacy classes for food service workers in the city's government agencies, universities, and museums. A curriculum for workplace literacy skills was developed, sites were selected, and students were recruited. From a target audience of…

The Marine Science Aquaculture Project is a program designed (1) to provide secondary and postsecondary students with job entry-level skills for employment in the shell fisheries industry; (2) to give students instruction and hands-on experience in the fundamental processes of seeding shell beds, monitoring and recording growth, and harvesting and…

The Tennessee Nutrition Education and Training (NET) program is part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture effort to develop a coordinated nutrition education program for children from preschool through grade 12. In its first year of operation, the Tennessee NET program conducted summer nutrition education workshops for elementary teachers and…

This report describes a joint labor-management workplace literacy program called SET (Skills Enhancement Training) that targeted the more than 2,000 unionized employees of food service contractors at U.S. government institutions in Washington, D.C. Nineteen classes were offered and a total of 191 people self-selected themselves into the program.…

This evaluation design report presents a general framework for assessing the effects of school health interventions on students' school performance in order to guide efforts to develop strong empirical evidence. The report begins with an overview of eight general types of school health interventions: school health education, health services,…

These eight case studies illustrate the capacity of United Kingdom Colleges of Further Education to respond effectively to training needs of local industry and commerce. Case 1 demonstrates shifts across a range of local authority colleges towards provision in the new information technologies and the service industries. Case 2 illustrates a…

Special Vocational Services in Salt Lake City has provided food service training, using the facilities of a local high school and the University of Utah, to special needs youth meeting Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) guidelines. The use of industry-based equipment, a formal dining room, and a qualified staff have assured relevant training to…