The program schedule is subject to change, but the finalized schedule will be shared with selected applicants in November so that they can confirm their availability prior to accepting their place in the program.

• ~30 virtual live learning sessions

Fellows participate in live virtual learning sessions on Zoom most Tuesdays from 3 pm Pacific/4 pm Mountain/5 pm Central/6 pm Eastern - 6 pm Pacific/7 pm Mountain/8 pm Central/9 pm Eastern time. These sessions are led by expert content leads from Chef Ann Foundation and beyond who cover a range of topics, including procurement, finance, DEIB, sustainability, and more.

• Four in-person learning trips

Fellows participate in 4 three- to four-day in-person learning trips throughout the program, tentatively scheduled for early March, early April, early May, and mid-October. These trips provide hands-on learning experiences and intensive professional development.

• Site Visits: Fellows visit two school districts across the U.S. that excel in scratch cooking to experience another school meal program in operation and spend valuable time with the district’s team. Fellows are assigned to districts in groups of 4-5 based on their learning goals and the strengths of the host district.
• Leadership Development Intensive: Fellows attend a three-day workshop with Results Coaching Global to deepen their leadership capacity through coaching skills.
• Culinary Training: Fellows participate in a two-day culinary training with the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition.

CAF covers transportation, lodging, and meals for all trips (via reimbursement, unless upfront costs pose a burden) and coordinates travel logistics. 

• Project-based learning

Fellows complete two projects throughout the Fellowship year, a group policy project and a self-led Capstone Project.

• Group Policy Project: Fellows are assigned to small groups to research and present on a policy topic related to school food at the local, state, or national level. The project culminates in a presentation and one-pager that summarizes their findings and recommendations. 

Capstone Project:  Each Fellow designs a project to advance scratch cooking in their district with the support of a $5,000 stipend from CAF. After receiving approval from CAF and their supervisor, Fellows dedicate approximately 50 hours to implement  their project.

• Closing celebration

The Fellowship concludes with a special in-person gathering where Fellows present their capstone projects and are celebrated for their hard work over the year. 

Fellows can expect to spend about eight hours per week on the Fellowship. The three-hour virtual live learning sessions are included in those eight hours. While how those eight hours are spent will vary from week to week, one example of a typical week would be one hour of pre-work, three hours in the live learning session, one hour of homework, and two to three hours of asynchronous learning (i.e., School Food Institute coursework) or project work. Weeks that include travel will exceed the usual eight hours.

There is no cost to Fellows or their districts to participate in the Fellowship. All expenses for program-related travel (i.e., flights, rental cars, lodging, meals, etc) are covered.

We anticipate selecting 24-28 Fellows, with 12 from California, 2 from Arizona, 2 from New Mexico, 1 from Colorado, and 7-11 from the rest of the U.S.

The baseline eligibility criteria is working at a school food service/nutrition department that is operating under the USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

We will consider individuals who are already directors at smaller districts or who need additional knowledge, skills, and experience to transition their program to scratch cooking. Similarly, we will consider up-and-coming leaders at districts that are farther along the scratch cooking continuum. We anticipate selecting a cohort of Fellows from districts that are diverse in terms of size and current level of scratch cooking. The key factors are self-operated programs (as opposed to operated by a food service management company) and a desire to improve the quality of school meals through scratch cooking.

During the first half of the Fellowship, the capstone project goals, guidelines, and expectations will be covered in depth. At a high level, Fellows are free to select their own topic as long as it fits the project timeline and budget, strengthens scratch cooking in their district and advances their leadership skills. The project must be approved by the Chef Ann Foundation and the Fellow’s supervisor before the capstone stipend ($5,000) will be disbursed to the Fellow’s district.