Many schools struggle to provide healthy, freshly cooked meals for students because there aren not enough skilled professionals trained in nutrition-focused culinary arts

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $250,000 to Chef ANN Foundation on March 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310) to design a comprehensive workforce training program for school food professionals in New York.

The design-phase project develops earn-and-learn career pathways and industry-recognized credentials in nutrition-focused culinary arts and scratch cooking through a partnership between Chef ANN Foundation, Erie Community College, and local school districts. Deliverables include hands-on learning experiences integrated into Erie Community College's culinary arts programs, expanded participant recruitment and access mechanisms, increased school district engagement, a funding strategy for long-term program sustainability, and an effective advisory committee to guide implementation. The program aims to address the shortage of skilled professionals trained in nutrition-focused culinary arts, enabling schools to move from processed foods to scratch cooking and improving student health, academic performance, and local economies.

Chef ANN Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Boulder, Colorado, is the recipient. The period of performance runs through February 29, 2028, with place of performance at Boulder, Colorado. The project model is intended for replication in culinary arts programs and in states where Chef ANN Foundation expands this work.

This shortage of qualified staff makes IT difficult for schools to move away from processed foods and embrace scratch cooking, which benefits student health, academic performance, and local economies. The overarching idea behind this design-phase project is that by developing a specialized training pathway for school food professionals, we can address staffing gaps, enhance job quality, and make IT easier for schools to serve healthy, locally sourced meals. The project aims to design a comprehensive workforce training program for school food professionals in new york, with on-ramps for culinary students through a partnership between erie community college (ECC), the chef ANN foundation (CAF), and local school districts. This work involves creating hands-on learning experiences that integrate into ECC's culinary arts programs, developing industry-recognized credentials, and forming a strong coalition of partners.expected outcomes of the design-phase project include new earn-and-learn career pathways for culinary students, expanded participant recruitment and access, increased school district engagement, a robust funding strategy to ensure long-term program stability, and the establishment of an effective advisory committee to guide program success during implementation. Ultimately, the project's impact will be healthier students, stronger communities, and a more resilient food system across new york, as well as a program model that can be replicated in culinary arts programs or in other states where chef ANN foundation will expand this work