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.

Asynchronous Learning

School Food Institute: Each Fellow will complete a Silver Certificate through the Chef Ann Foundation’s School Food Institute, which includes our School Food 101 course, as well as 4 additional courses of their choosing. Fellows will enroll in their School Food Institute courses at the start of the program in January 2026, and will complete them at their own pace by December 31, 2026.

Sustainable Food Systems Change for School Food Professionals micro-certificate: This micro-certificate, offered through Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, explores the role of school food programs in the broader U.S. Food System. From shaping young palates and improving childhood nutrition to supporting local agriculture and reducing food waste, school food programs have the potential to drive meaningful change at every level. Fellows will enroll in the micro-certificate at the start of the program in January 2026, and the modules will be introduced throughout the Fellowship program. Fellows will complete the micro-certificate by December 31, 2026. 

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.

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.

• Alexis Assad, Cambridge Public Schools (MA)
• Amber Green, Marysville Joint Unified School District (CA)
• Christina Lane, Washington Unified School District (CA)
• Claire Nielsen, Wayzata Public Schools (MN)
• Courtney Chapman, Minneapolis Public Schools (MN)
• Daisha Rand, Holmen School District (WI)
• Dana Hoffman, Monona Grove School District (WI)
• Dwayne Dionne, Alhambra Unified School District (CA)
• GianMario Oddi, Morgan Hill Unified School District (CA)
• Graham Schreiber, Portland Public Schools (OR)
• Jamie Anderson, Banta Unified School District (CA)
• Jeane Pacheco, Lodi Unified School District (CA)
• Jennifer Konish, DC Public Schools (Washington, DC)
• Jesus Perez, Magdalena Municipal Schools (NM)
• Josh Perkins, Madison Metropolitan School District (WI)
• Kamilah Williams, Menifee Union School District (CA)
• Kevin Trierweiler, Long Prarie-Grey Eagle Schools (MN)
• Laurie Ozanich, Selah School District 119 (WA)
• Maggie Mae Kennedy, Baltimore City Public Schools (MD)
• Marie Johnson, Farmington Municipal School District 5 (NM)
• Michelle Diaz, Gridley Unified School District (CA)
• Nick Svoboda, Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (CA)
• Patience Boulais, Ocean View School District (CA)
• Robert Shaheen, Worcester Public Schools (MA)
• Sarah Veare-Whitehead, Eastern Allamakee Community Schools (IA)
• Sepon Istepanyan, Live Oak Unified School District (CA)
• Vanessa Bonfim, Avondale Elementary School District 44 (AZ)

• Aaron Shipp, Weld County School District 6 Greeley (CO)
• Akasha Anderson-Nelms, KIPP NYC (NY)
• Ana Bush, San Ysidro School District (CA)
• Beth Bailey, Humboldt County Office of Education (Juvenile Hall) (CA)
• Bryanna Ippolito, Acton Boxborough Regional School District (MA)
• Chelsey Bennett, Monona Grove School District (WI)
• Christy Nezgodinsky, Pointe Coupee Parish School Board (LA)
• Jennifer Hutchinson, Barre Unified Union School District (VT)
• Jennifer Ruiz, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (CA)
• John Haley, Salamanca City Central School District (NY)
• Jorie Gronek, Boulder Valley School District (CO)
• Judith Crumpler, Bear Valley Unified School District (CA)
• Judy Mireles, Menifee Union School District (CA)
• Maraiah Popeleski-Tilley, Mansfield Public Schools and Region 19 High School (CT)
• Melissa (Missy) Terrell, Pittsburgh Public Schools (PA)
• Mike Bottarini, Willows Unified School District (CA)
• Muhamed Yasin, Napa Unified School District (CA)
• Randy Rios, Lodi Unified School District (CA)
• Shawn Marie Rivera, Sacramento City Unified School District (CA)
• Toni Jackson, Trimble County Public Schools (KY)
• Kelli Seidel, San Juan Unified School District (CA)

• Alonso Alonso, San Bernardino City Unified School District (CA)
• Barbara Macleod, Boulder Valley School District (CO)
• Brittney Rodriguez, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District (CA)
• Christina Lawson, Western Placer Unified School District (CA)
• Erin Camacho, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System (NMI)
• Iris Tirado, Concordia Charter School (AZ)
• Jason Tepper, Alexandria City Public Schools (VA)
• Josie Perez, Redlands Unified School District (CA)
• Juan Lopez, Mission Consolidated Independent School District (TX)
• Kelsey Berrini, Evanston Township High School District (IL)
• Liz Estavillo Valdez, Bassett Unified School District (CA)
• Nick Dramis, Marysville Joint Unified School District (CA)
• Nick Vedia, Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VA)
• Randal Lane, West Contra Costa Unified School District (CA)
• Renee Swank, Norfolk Public Schools (VA)
• Rhima Ramirez, Twin Rivers Unified School District (CA)
• Richie Wilim, Vacaville Unified School District (CA)
• Shana Cash, Purdue Polytechnic High School District (IN)
• Tricia Kastelitz, Suffolk Public Schools (VA)
• Warren Ryan, San Bernardino City Unified School District (CA)