As students prepare to return to school, dedicated school nutrition professionals work diligently behind the scenes—preparing kitchens, planning menus, and placing food orders. These professionals play a vital role in the health and well-being of children, directly influencing childhood nutrition through the meals they serve and by fostering healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.
To uphold the highest standards in school nutrition, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) requires all school nutrition professionals to complete annual training to meet USDA Professional Standards. These standards ensure school nutrition staff have the knowledge, training, and tools to plan, prepare, and procure nutritious, safe, and enjoyable school meals.
University of Illinois Extension has partnered with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to offer professional development training for school nutrition professionals. There will be two training opportunities in early August.
Registration is from 7:30 - 8 a.m. The training will start promptly at 8 a.m. and last until 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 5, 2025 - NIU Rockford Conference Center, 8500 E State St, Rockford
- Thursday, August 7, 2025 – Highland Community College, 2998 W. Pearl City Road, Freeport
This training provides a valuable opportunity to enhance skills, gain new insights, and earn six hours of USDA Professional Standards credits for the 2024-2025 school year. There is no charge for this training; however, pre-registration is requested. Register at go.illinois.edu/jsw or call (815) 235-4125. Registration will close on July 28.
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in this program, please call (815) 235-4125. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.