Purpose/Objectives: School Food Focus (Focus) developed the Focus Midwest project on the premise that school food professionals (SFPs) could work together to minimize effort and maximize potential to find new or improved products to serve. Focus designed this project as an experiment to explore how and to what extent this collaborative approach…

Public education funding relies on revenues from a variety of sources, from local taxpayers to federal programs targeting students with specific needs. The vast sum of funding collected--in excess of $600 billion annually--often masks which entities fund the education of our nation's youth. Questions of funding adequacy and equity across school…

In 2008, the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at Bradley University recognized the need to improve the quality of the laboratory experience in foodservice classes. A hands-on, real-world, learning experience was desired. Simultaneously, the university administration wanted to provide an on-campus foodservice for students from 8:00 p.m. to…

Partnerships between community colleges and employers to create apprenticeships have been around for decades. These traditionally have covered fields like the building trades--electrical, construction and others--as well as heavy manufacturing like the automobile industry. Inspired partly by a new federal apprenticeship consortium--and $175…

Objective: Use of direct observation to characterize neighborhood retail food environments is increasing, but to date most studies have relied on a single observation. If food availability, prices, and quality vary over short time periods, repeated measures may be needed to portray these food characteristics. This study evaluated short-term…

This study examined foodservice outsourcing in the State of Illinois. School administrators currently outsourcing foodservice were surveyed about their perceptions of HB1347 and its components. This study looked at HB1347 in Illinois, and its effects on outsourcing in school districts. Data for this study was collected from a survey sent to 100%…

Although the for-profit retail and nonprofit education markets are not identical, many of the strategies used by reformers to improve markets for banking and food services could nonetheless benefit public education. As district and community leaders, charter school authorizers, and policymakers expand the marketplace of schools, they would be…

The purpose of this study is to assess elementary school nutrition programs in a rural county in southern Illinois. The researcher interviewed the food service managers of eight schools and completed the School Health Index (SHI) based on their responses. Eighty-seven percent of the schools did not have venues such as vending machines outside the…

Companies such as ARA Services provide lunch every day to more than 1 million students in over 280 school districts nationwide. An Illinois superintendent lists several reasons for school districts to consider "outsourcing" their food-service operations, including cost-saving opportunities, capacity for offering comprehensive services…

An enterprising food service director has introduced student taste test panels and they have had great impact on the district's lunch program. (Author)

DESIRABLE OBJECTIVES SUCH AS QUALITY FOOD PREPARATION, EFFICIENT SERVICE, ECONOMY AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR FOOD PREPARATION IN GRANT TOWERS AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, DEKALB, WAS SATISFIED BY THE USE OF INFORMED PRE-PLANNING, COMPREHENSIVE SPACE-STUDIES, AND CRITICAL PATH PLANNING PROCEDURES. THE ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE DESIRED FOOD…

Describes the internship phase of the Supermarket Management Program at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, which requires the students to view their on-the-job training as an opportunity to think and act like management. (BM)

This is traditionally an annual hearing of the Committee with school nutrition managers who travel to Washington, DC. Their representatives testify to the Committee regarding the practical benefits of the nutrition policies under the legislative review of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. Testimony was presented by Senators…

This publication lists information about Illinois state agencies and organizations that participate in feeding programs and/or have nutrition programs and nutrition services available to the public. This nutrition services sourcebook lists where one can go for help and available information and services. Statewide organizations which support…

This checklist offers tips and resources to help schools identify opportunities to "green" their buildings and operations, focusing on common-sense improvements that schools can make in their daily operations to minimize or stop potential health and environmental problems before they start. The first section discusses the benefits of a…