About the Pre-Conference Workshops
Extend your learning and strengthen your knowledge by traveling to ANC one day early for pre-conference workshops. These sessions, which require additional registration, target all key areas and range from express options to half-day, in-depth workshops. Take full advantage of all the professional development opportunities that ANC 2025 has to offer!
Pre-Con Workshops
All pre-cons take place on Saturday, July 12.
Pre-registration is required for all pre-conference sessions. Sessions may be canceled if not full. If canceled, registrants will be offered alternate courses or receive a full refund by mail after the conference concludes. Please register by June 14. SNA advises pre-conference registrants to wait to make schedule-dependent transportation plans until May 10, 2025.
7:30 am—12:00 pm
Taste the Difference: The Benefits of Robust Farm-to-School Initiatives
Join this engaging, interactive session focused on integrating farms (in-ground and hydroponic) and innovative farm-to-school initiatives within Child Nutrition Programs (CNP). This 3.5-hour presentation at IDEA Public Schools Eastside campus will include a tour of the in-ground farm and hydroponic farm system and the scratch cooking kitchen operations supporting farm harvests—showcasing how they use fresh, locally grown produce to enhance student meals and experiences. Participants will explore the benefits of farm-to-school initiatives, learn how to incorporate agricultural and nutrition education into school culture and discover how to effectively integrate farm production into school menus. Take part in break-out groups to brainstorm and share innovative ideas for expanding farm-to-school initiatives. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, collaborate and walk away with practical strategies for bringing fresh, healthy food from farm to plate.
Location: Offsite; Transportation will be provided
Speakers
Keely Hawkins, PhD
Chef Daniela Villarreal
Deborah Ray, MS
Time: 7:30 am—12:00 pm
CEUs: 3.5
Cost: $199
Key Areas: 1 Nutrition
Target Audience: ALL
8:00 am—10:00 am
The Heart of the Team: Elevating Culture with Emotional Intelligence
What if the key to retention, performance and culture wasn’t just about better recruiting—but about better relationships? Employees choose workplaces where they feel valued, respected, and understood. But here’s the truth: You can’t plant good seeds in bad soil. A team’s success depends on the environment it’s rooted in. When the heart of the team beats together—centered on trust, communication and emotional intelligence—culture thrives, and people want to stay. This dynamic pre-con session will explore how one district’s shared language has transformed relationships, increased retention and built teams that support, inspire and elevate one another. Through real-world scenarios and actionable strategies, you’ll walk away ready to cultivate a workplace where teamwork isn’t just a function—it’s a force!
Speaker
Joe Pettit
Time: 8:00 am—10:00 am
CEUs: 2
Cost: $115
Key Areas: 3 Administration
Target Audience: ALL
8:00 am—10:00 am
Specifications Do Not Have to Be Rocket Science
This working pre-con is designed to equip you with ideas on how to write clear, concise and effective specifications so you get exactly what you and your customers want. You will receive insights from experts into creating specifications that ensure product quality and ingredient expectations and comply with federal school nutrition regulations. Bring your own specs to work on for your next solicitation, as well as your ideas and questions for this in-depth look at specifications and what they can do for you.
Speakers
Dr. Katie Wilson, PhD, SNS
Jill Kidd, MS, RD, SNS
Time: 8:00 am—10:00 am
CEUs: 2
Cost: $115
Key Areas: 2 Operations
Target Audience: ALL
11:00 am—1:00 pm
Gamify Your Food Safety Training: Bring the Fun Back to Your District!
LIGHTS ON, cue the music, we are ready in 3,2,1… ACTION! Join the newest game show in school nutrition…where food safety is certainly no joke and can be tons of fun! This interactive session takes a fresh and engaging approach to teaching food safety in school kitchens and each category covers essential principles critical to maintaining a safe and healthy kitchen environment for students and staff. Using a game show format, participants will team up to answer questions across various categories such as temperature control, safe food storage, personal hygiene, allergen awareness and cross-contamination prevention. Through friendly competition and real-world scenarios, participants will reinforce their knowledge of food safety standards, test their decision-making skills and learn best practices in an enjoyable, low-pressure setting. This session is ideal for school kitchen managers, supervisors, directors, chefs and anyone involved in training on food safety protocols. Plus, learn how to replicate this with your own staff in your district!
Speaker
Sharon Schaefer, SNS
Time: 11:00 am—1:00 pm
CEUs: 2
Cost: $115
Key Areas: 2 Operations, 3 Administration
Target Audience: M, D, MC, SC
11:00 am—1:00 pm
School Menu Makeover: Multi-cultural Menus, Flavor and Staff Buy-In for Lasting Change
In this engaging pre-conference session, participants dive into practical strategies for diversifying school menus to provide multi-cultural menus and meet budget needs. Guided by hands-on learning (and your tastebuds!), explore the integration of global spice blends, nutritious ingredients and extraordinary school-friendly recipes. Additionally, this session will emphasize budget-conscious techniques to enhance flavors without increasing costs, making multi-cultural menus accessible for schools of all sizes. By involving participants in the menu creation process and showcasing the benefits of flavor-forward meals, you’ll also learn how to foster buy-in among school staff, from kitchen teams to administration. Plus, you’ll be ready to transform your school menus because you’ll takeaway actionable tools, sample recipes and tested spice blend ideas.
Speakers
Bettina Applewhite, MS, RDN, LDN, SNS
Time: 11:00 am—1:00 pm
CEUs: 2
Cost: $115
Key Areas: 1 Nutrition
Target audience: D, MC, SC, I, NTP
12:30 pm—4:30 pm
San Antonio Food Bank Tour: Leveraging Food Banks and Community Partners for Meal Program Success
Take a tour of the San Antonio Food Bank with a behind the scenes look at their culinary facilities, warehouse, sorting and distribution areas and more! Discover their innovative strategies for working with local schools and communities to support families and students with food distribution, workforce development and wellness initiatives. You’ll also learn best practices for collaboration, discover ways to supplement meal offerings (with nutritious food from food banks!) and identify other valuable resources to support your program goals.
This pre-conference session will also include a Q&A with Food Bank staff for questions about their work with local schools and communities. And finally, build camaraderie with your colleagues while you experience firsthand the impact of the Food Bank’s work and mission by participating in a hands-on volunteer activity that benefits the citizens of San Antonio!
Location: Offsite; Transportation will be provided
Speakers
Heather Guzman
San Antonio Food Bank Staff
Time: 12:30 pm—4:30 pm
CEUs: 3
Cost: $199
Key Areas: 1 Nutrition, 2 Operations, 3 Administration
Target audience: ALL
2:00 pm—4:00 pm
The Business-Wise Approach to School Nutrition
Are you tired of the constant struggle to balance time, quality and the budget, in your school nutrition program? Do you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to provide healthy, high-quality meals while keeping your team motivated and your students satisfied? You’re not alone. In fact, it’s easy to get stuck in survival mode, where quick fixes become the norm. In this session, you’ll discover how to break free from this cycle with a proven, business approach to school nutrition that’s built on years of experience. Learn how to elevate both operational efficiency and student outcomes by striving for purposeful excellence and aligning your team’s goals with your program’s mission.
Speakers
Audrey Banich, RD
Lindsey Hill, RD, SNS
Time: 2:00 pm—4:00 pm
CEUs: 2
Cost: $115
Key Areas:1 Nutrition
Target audience: M, D, MC, SC, SA, NTP
2:00 pm—5:00 pm
School Meal Trends 2025: AI as the Secret Ingredient
Step into the future of school nutrition with this interactive AI workshop. Led by a seasoned school nutrition dietitian with a passion for technology, discover how AI can simplify menu planning, support compliance and optimize operations, including a live demo on building your own AI assistant—offering a glimpse into the future of school lunch management. Tackle common challenges like balancing USDA compliance with student preferences, utilizing surplus stock, handling special diets, standardizing recipes, training staff and marketing. New to AI? No problem. Discover how easy it is with custom engineered copy-and-paste prompts included in the session. Bring your laptop or tablet and experience how AI actively listens to your wants and needs to effortlessly create personalized strategies and solutions for you.
Speakers
Melissa Manning, RDN
Time: 2:00 pm—5:00 pm
CEUs: 3
Cost: $149
Key Areas: 1 Nutrition, 3 Administration
Target audience: ALL