3/16 S.S.T.A.R.. - Summer Meal Service Program Newsletter

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 03/16/2026 03:54 PM PDT

Summer Food Service Program S.S.T.A.R.: Week of March 16, 2026

Update: No Kid Hungry Summer Webinar Series
Farm to Summer Corner
Important Dates to Remember

Update: No Kid Hungry Summer Webinar Series

Join No Kid Hungry on select Wednesdays at 12 pm PT as they cover several topics to help you take your summer meals program to the next level. Tune in to learn the basics of Rural Non-Congregate meal service, menu building, community engagement, delivery models, program advocacy, outreach, and so much more!

Webinar Schedule:

Training Opportunities Outside of OSPI

Virtual Training from the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN)

Best Practices in SFSP - Personal Hygiene

Best Practices in SFSP - Time and Temperature Control

March 25: Savor the Summer: Designing Menus with Community Flavor
April 1: High-Impact Meals: Innovative Logistics for Consistent Summer Food Access
April 29: Amplifying Impact: Advocacy Strategies for Rural, Non-Congregate Program
May 6: Four Home Delivery Models and How They Could Work for Your Community
May 13: From Pickup to Porch: Best Practices for Diverse Rural Non-Congregate Meal Distribution
May 20: Beyond the Flyer: Next-Level Promotion for Summer Meals Success

You only need to sign up ONE TIME to sign up for the whole season! Register here more information and to select webinars you would like to attend.

Farm to Summer Corner

How to Participate

Pledge to participate in your Summer Meals Application
Serve at least one local food in your SFSP meals between July 13–17.
Offer one food education activity (in-person or virtual)
Share your Farm to Summer Week stories using hashtag #WAFarmtoSummer on social media

Farm to Summer Week

As summer approaches, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) invites Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors across Washington to participate in Farm to Summer Week, July 13–17. Including Washington grown foods in your summer meals is a great way to take advantage of Washington's agricultural abundance.

Adding fresh, local foods to your menus elevates meal quality and gives children valuable opportunities to explore and enjoy new foods. Your participation helps strengthen connections to local agriculture and enrich summer programming.

New This Summer: The Summer Crunch!

OSPI is excited to introduce the Summer Crunch, a new activity where SFSP sites across Washington join in a shared moment of biting into a Washington‑grown fruit or vegetable. Select a local item and incorporate a dedicated “crunch moment” into their activities during Farm to Summer Week. Join the coordinated celebration on July 15, or select a date that best fits your schedule. Consider partnering with local farmers, producers, or utilizing garden-grown items for this event. Look for additional details in upcoming newsletters.

Email the Farm to Child Nutrition Programs inbox if you plan to host a Summer Crunch event.

Summer Meal Program & Farm to Summer Toolkit

Explore resources in the Summer Meal Program & Farm to Summer Promotional Toolkit.

Built from last year’s Summer Meals Summit feedback, this plug‑and‑play social media toolkit makes it easy to spread the word about free, nutritious meals for kids and teens in your community. The toolkit includes ready-to-use graphics, editable flyers, sample social media posts and captions, tips for using different platforms, and ideas to boost engagement online.

The toolkit also includes Farm to Summer Week promo materials, perfect for highlighting local foods, farms, and producers while keeping kids excited, engaged, and coming back for more summer meals.

Questions? Contact the Farm to Child Nutrition Programs Inbox.

Important Dates to Remember

July 13–17	Farm to Summer Week
July 15	Summer Crunch
2026 SFSP Application Tiered Deadlines
April 15	New Sponsors/Sponsors with Operational Problems
May 1	Returning Sponsors new to Rural Non-Congregate
May 15	Returning Sponsors with first date of operations between June 1-15
June 1	Returning Sponsors with first date of operations after June 15

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

ADA NOTIFICATION FOR OSPI CHILD NUTRITION SERVICES EVENTS
To arrange accommodations for persons with disabilities for OSPI Child Nutrition Services events, please contact the Child Nutrition Services Team at 360-725-6200, TTY 360-664-3631, or by email, child.nutrition@k12.wa.us at least three business days before the event. Please note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require OSPI to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.

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OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200, 360-725-6162 (TTY: 360-664-3631), equity@k12.wa.us.