Student and School Nutrition Professional Nutrition Education Sub-Grant

Student and School Nutrition Professional Nutrition Education Sub-Grant Description

Funding provided by a USDA Team Nutrition Grant

The Iowa Department of Education’s Team Nutrition is offering approximately $115,000 in competitive sub-grants to Iowa schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Sub-grant opportunities are to provide nutrition education to students and to increase fresh vegetables, fruits, scratch-made menu items and other menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offered in school meals. Eligible applicants will apply for $5,000 to $14,500 of allowable expenses needed to implement at least one and up to three of the sub-grant components listed below. 

1. Nutrition education lessons and taste tests to middle school students.

2. School nutrition professional training and student engagement to increase the quality and nutrition of school meals by encouraging more fresh fruits and vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

3. Nutrition education lessons and taste tests to students participating in the NSLP’s Afterschool Snack Program.

Total award range: $5,000 to $14,500 awarded per School Food Authority (SFA)

Sub-grant application deadline: December 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Eligible Applicants:

• Iowa public or nonpublic schools that participate in the NSLP.

• The Iowa public or nonpublic SFA may complete one, competitive sub-grant application for the potential award of multiple school sites. The maximum award per SFA is $14,500.

Applicant Evaluation Criteria:

• SFAs may apply for one or more than one of the sub-grant components described below.

• Preference will be given to SFAs that plan to implement more than one sub-grant component in their application.

• Preference will be given to schools with more than 50 percent of students who qualify for free and reduced price meals. SFAs with a free and reduced price rate less than 50 percent are still encouraged to apply. 

• Applicants applying to implement middle school nutrition education must provide at least three lessons. Preference will be given to applicants that incorporate five or more lessons. 

• Applicants applying to implement NSLP Afterschool Snack Program nutrition education must provide at least three lessons. Preference will be given to applicants that incorporate five or more lessons. 

• For applicants applying to implement the school nutrition professional training and student engagement activities (separate from the middle school and after-school nutrition lessons), preference will be given to applicants that support student selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and other menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

• Preference will be given to schools who submit a detailed description of project activities and budget.

Sub-Grant Components:

1. Implementation of middle school nutrition education lessons

• Schools may apply to implement at least three of the middle school nutrition education lessons. Multiple classrooms may apply. Lessons must include a taste test component.

• Middle school generally represents students in sixth through eighth grade. Lessons may be offered to students in other grades based on the local definition of middle school. 

• The amount requested must align with the total award amount range of $5,000 to $14,500 and includes the amounts requested to implement other sub-grant components. The maximum award per SFA is $14,500.

• Education may include lessons from the following: 

  • Iowa Nutrition Education Lessons for Middle School Students. The lessons will be available soon. Review the lesson overview for more information. 

  • USDA’s Team Nutrition Fueling My Healthy Life curriculum

• Allowable expenses include:

  • A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) to teach the classroom nutrition education lessons. Sub-grant funds may be used for other qualified nutrition educators with approval by the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services.

  • Taste test food samples and related supplies. 

  • Education supplies including handout printing costs.

  • Nutrition education reinforcement materials or products given to students to support the nutrition education. Examples include healthy foods/food group branded items such as stickers, buttons, fidgets, water bottles and refrigerator magnets. Items are allowable only if they are $5.00 or less per item. The total amount spent on reinforcement materials must be reasonable in proportion to the total sub-grant budget.

1. School nutrition professional training with student engagement 

• Schools may apply for more than one school site. The amount requested must align with the total award amount range of $5,000 to $14,500 and includes the amounts requested to implement other sub-grant components. The maximum award per SFA is $14,500.

• This component must include both staff training and student engagement (separate from the middle school and after-school nutrition lessons).

• Activities implemented under this sub-grant component will support student selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in school meals.

• Allowable activities and expenses may include the following as listed below. Student engagement must accompany staff training.

  • Staff training on culinary skills and/or standardized recipes to improve the quality of school meals.  

  • Student engagement activities may include the following: 

    • Taste testing of fruits and vegetables or foods prepared in culinary skills training

    • Nutrition education and/or school meal pattern education to students (separate from the middle school and afterschool nutrition education lessons)

    • Signage for school cafeterias to provide nutrition education and/or to advertise menu items to support student selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

    • Other approved student engagement that supports increased selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Allowable expenses include the following:

  • A culinary instructor with an associates degree in culinary arts or a closely related area from a regionally accredited institution. A culinary instructor with at least three years of full time industry experience and evidence of experience in the area of instruction is preferred. Culinary instructors may provide staff education on culinary skill topics including but not limited to: 

    • Knife skills

    • Batch cooking

    • Best practices for cooking vegetables

    • Recipe standardization

  • Supplies needed for food preparation, production and display of food prepared for nutrition education purposes (up to $5,000 per unit and must accompany staff training and student engagement):

    • Knives and cutting boards

    • Commercial food processor to simplify fruit and vegetable preparation (slicing, dicing, etc.) 

    • Fruit/vegetable sectionizer

    • Fruit and vegetable bar

    • Other approved food preparation, production and display supplies to encourage student selection of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in school meals

  • Student engagement materials and supplies include the following:

    • Food used for taste testing of standardized recipes, fruits or vegetables. Foods purchased with sub-grant funds must not be used for reimbursable meals and must only be sample sized.

    • Taste testing supplies including napkins, single serve plates, bowls and/or plastic ware.

    • Nutrition education and/or school meal pattern education materials (separate from the middle school and afterschool nutrition education lessons).

    • Signage for school cafeterias to provide nutrition education and/or to advertise menu items.

    • Other approved student engagement materials to encourage the selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

1. Afterschool nutrition education lessons

• Eligible applicants must participate in the NSLP Afterschool Snack Program (ASP).

• Applicants are encouraged to take the Nutrition Education for Afterschool Snacks Programs course in Iowa Learning Online Professional Development (ILOPD). The free course provides general nutrition education to help empower afterschool staff with knowledge of nutrition, strategies for introducing new foods and establishing a positive food environment.

• The amount requested must align with the total award amount range of $5,000 to $14,500 and includes the amounts requested to implement other sub-grant components. The maximum award per SFA is $14,500.

• Applicants will provide at least three student nutrition education lessons to students participating in the NSLP Afterschool Snack Program. Lessons must include a taste test component. Lessons implemented may include the following:

  • Iowa Nutrition Education Lessons for Afterschool Students. The lessons will be available soon. Review the lesson overview for more information.

  • Iowa Health and Human Services Pick A Better Snack Lessons 

• Allowable expenses may include the following:

  • Taste test food samples and related supplies

  • Education supplies including handout printing costs

  • Nutrition education reinforcement materials or products given to students to support the nutrition education. Examples include healthy foods/food group branded items such as stickers, buttons, fidgets, water bottles and refrigerator magnets. The total amount spent on reinforcement materials must be reasonable in proportion to the total sub-grant budget.

Grantee Expectations:

• Grantees will attend an onboarding webinar that provides information on allowable expenses, IowaGrants claim submissions, reporting requirements and the sub-grant timeline.

• Grantees will be reimbursed for allowable expenses that are included in the sub-grant budget upon submission of itemized invoices and supporting documentation in IowaGrants. 

• Claims for all expenses incurred must be submitted no later than June 30, 2027. 

• Grantees will submit at least three pictures of the activities being implemented with a signed Team Nutrition media release. 

• Grantees will complete a final report in IowaGrants that describes the successes, challenges and impact of the grant activities. The final report is due in IowaGrants by June 30, 2027. More details will be provided.

Budget:

The sub-grant application will include the items and estimated amounts the SFA plans to claim for reimbursement. Sub-grant funding must not be used to purchase food for reimbursable NSLP or School Breakfast Program (SBP) meals or Afterschool Snack Program snacks. SFAs will receive sub-grant funds through reimbursement of items approved in the sub-grant budget upon submission of itemized invoices and the claim submission form in IowaGrants. 

Examples of allowable expenses include:     

• A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) to teach the middle school classroom nutrition education lessons. Sub-grant funds may be used for other qualified nutrition educators with approval by the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services.

• Taste test food samples and related non-food supplies.  

• Nutrition education supplies including handout printing costs.

• Nutrition education reinforcement materials or products given to students to support the nutrition education. Examples include healthy foods/food group branded items such as stickers, buttons, fidgets, water bottles and refrigerator magnets. The total amount spent on reinforcement materials must be reasonable in proportion to the total sub-grant budget.

• Signage for school cafeterias to provide nutrition education and/or to advertise menu items.

• Other approved student engagement that supports increased selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

• Food for school nutrition staff culinary training.

• A culinary instructor to provide school nutrition professional training on culinary skill topics. 

• Supplies needed for food preparation, production and display of food prepared for nutrition education purposes (up to $5,000 per unit and must accompany staff training and student engagement)

  • Knives and cutting boards

  • Commercial food processor to simplify fruit and vegetable preparation (slicing, dicing etc.) 

  • Fruit/vegetable sectionizer

  • Fruit and vegetable bar

  • Other approved food production production supplies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption

Grant Scoring Criteria

 

Scoring Criteria Category	Maximum Points
School sites with more than 50 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals as reported in the October 2026 IowaCNP Site Enrollment report.	10
For applicants applying to implement middle school nutrition education, preference will be given to applicants that provide five or more nutrition education lessons.	20
For applicants applying to implement NSLP Afterschool Snack Program nutrition education lessons, preference will be given to applicants that provide five or more nutrition education lessons.	20
For applicants applying to implement the school nutrition professional training and student engagement activity, preference will be given to applicants that support student selection and consumption of fruits, vegetables, scratch-made menu items and/or menu items that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.	20
SFAs whose application provides a detailed description of sub-grant project(s).	15
SFAs whose application provides a detailed description of the sub-grant budget, including allowable expenses.	15
Total Points	100

Grantee Reporting Requirements

Grantees will be required to submit a final report by June 30, 2027. Grantees who provide student nutrition education lessons will report on which lessons were provided, the food items taste tested and the number of students that participated in each lesson. Grantees who provide school nutrition professional training and student engagement will report on which staff and student engagement activities were implemented, how many staff and students were engaged and how the sub-grant supported the selection and consumption of healthy menu items in the school nutrition program.

Sub-grant application deadline: Dec. 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Project deadline: June 30, 2027

Questions: 

Questions regarding the Student and School Nutrition Professional Nutrition Education Sub-Grant must be entered into IowaGrants in the Questions tab by Nov. 6, 2026. 

It is the policy of the Iowa Department of Education not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, political party affiliation, or actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 256.10(2), Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). 

If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy by the Iowa Department of Education, contact the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E 14th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, Telephone: 515-281-5295, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, Telephone: (303) 844-5695 FAX: (303) 844-4303, TDD 800-877-8339 Email: OCR.Denver@ed.gov.