A federal program, begun in 1995, to assist the states with the implementation of the USDA "Healthy School Meals Initiative." Team Nutrition in Rhode Island is funded through a series of USDA grants awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). The Rhode Island Team Nutrition Training Institute was created at Kids First to administer Rhode Island’s Team Nutrition programs.

Good News! RI Department of Education was awarded the 2007 Team Nutrition Grant in the amount of $158,953.

RITeam Nutrition Project 2007-2009:
Healthier School Meals for All RI Children
Project Summary:
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is involved in many proactive initiatives generated by the RI Law requiring the establishment of a District Health and Wellness Subcommittee to improve the health and wellness of students and employees. Each district Health &Wellness Subcommittee is responsible for the development of policies, strategies, and implementation plans to meet the required federal Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization of Act of 2004. However, since these initiatives are not focusing on upgrading the nutrition requirements of the federal school meals and snack program, the 2007 TNT Grant provides the opportunity to address this need. Therefore, 2007 RI TNT Grant project, entitled Healthier School Meals for all RI Children, is focused on augmenting the State-level wellness activities that are supporting the work of district Health & Wellness Subcommittees. Healthier School Meals for all RI Children is the development and implementation of a State-level system of accountability and technical assistance for the incorporation of Dietary Guidelines for Americans called RI Nutrition Requirements 2009 (RINR 2009) into school meals and snack served to RI students in public school districts by September 2009.

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