August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month
National Breastfeeding Month and Minnesota Breastfeeding awareness month are wrapping up. There are two awareness weeks that extend into September.
Remember there are communication resources available to promote Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the cooccurring awareness weeks on the local agency WIC Communications and Outreach webpage.
Watch the WIC Facebook and WIC Instagram pages for content to like and share on your local agency social media accounts.
Reminder: Breastfeeding at the State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair begins this week.
While Minnesota WIC will not be sponsoring the TPT nursing nest this year, there will still be plenty of spaces to breastfeed! Please direct participants to the State Fair website for places to feed their baby or pump
while visiting the Minnesota State Fair (Aug. 27-Sept. 7).
There are five areas dedicated to breastfeeding families:
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Family & Baby Care, located on West Dan Patch Avenue south of West End Market and north of Mighty Midway. Private and semi-private rooms are available on a first-come basis. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (8 p.m. Labor Day).
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Momentum Refresh, located on east side of Cosgrove Street, north of Lee Avenue.
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myTalk 107.1, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Randall and Wright avenues.
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TPT | Twin Cities PBS, located on the west side of Underwood Street at the intersection of Lee Avenue.
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KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Carnes & Judson avenues.
All nursing facilities provide electricity.
Any questions - contact Rosie Pierce-Martin.
Meaningful minutes: WIC skills in 10
 “Meaningful Minutes- Appropriate Use of Bottles, Cups, and Weaning,” the next video in the training series, is now available at Meaningful Minutes - WIC Skills in 10. Take a few minutes to check out this or one of the past videos in the series! Time spent viewing the video and discussing the staff questions can be included in the hours required for the CPA Section 4.5: Staff Training (PDF) annual Continuing Education.
Action steps:
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Watch the short, on-demand video.
- To view, click on the link for the video title under Meaningful Minutes training videos or scroll to the Training videos and worksheets section.
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Discuss the questions on the staff worksheet to enhance learning and build skills!
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Review the resources found on the worksheet.
The Meaningful Minutes series is part of the FFY 2026-2027 Nutrition Education Plan goal to enhance WIC staff assessment and counseling skills for common nutrition risks. Watch for more videos to come!
For questions, please reach out to Blair Haesly.
Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
Refer to WIC Annual Required Trainings for staff training requirements.
Upcoming trainings
Case series catch-up week
Save the date on your calendar! If you missed joining one of the Lessons in WIC: Case Studies presented this year, you will have one last chance. We will be hosting a case study series catch-up week in the last week of October, where we will present each of the four Lessons in WIC: Case Studies. These sessions will not be recorded. Continuing education credits are offered. Registration is not required to join.
Case Study Series Catch-up Week:
Questions: Contact Carole Kelnhofer.
Reminder: Save the date!
This Minnesota WIC 2027 Education and Training Conference is a special one-day event designed to bring together leading public health and nutrition experts and to celebrate the incredible dedication and impact of every WIC staff member.
Event details:
Planning is underway. Details and registration updates will be shared in the coming months. In the meantime, please mark your calendars and protect this date so you can attend.
If you have any immediate questions, please reach out to your state consultant.
Thank you for everything you do to support participants across the state each month; you are truly the heart of WIC!
Shopping Experience Training
Minnesota WIC will offer more opportunities to attend a live webinar on WIC Foods and Shopping Experience training. The training will be offered quarterly in 2026. Continuing education credits will be awarded. These sessions WILL NOT be recorded. The same information will be presented at each presentation.
Presenters: Erin Kelsey from the Vendor Team and Mary Frances Guiney from the Nutrition Team.
Upcoming date:
Questions: Reach out to Erin Kelsey.
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The week ahead
Check out upcoming trainings and meetings: Local Agency WIC Calendar
Find new job opportunities on the WIC Job Postings webpage.
Submit job postings using the WIC Job Postings survey.
Monday, Sept. 7 (State office closed for Labor Day.)
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