upLIFT
upLIFT was created for you, the child nutrition professional, to provide you with materials to help you LEARN about nutrition, INSPIRE you on what to feed your participants, FEED your participants healthy meals, and TEACH others in your community about your programs!
LEARN
Webinars
The monthly webinar series will focus on sharing relevant nutrition knowledge as well as standout stories from the field on successful service models, inspiring menu ideas, and tips and tricks to implement nutrition initiatives in schools! These webinars are intended to provide you with real, applicable, and helpful information that you can use to operate the best school food service program possible at your sites this year!
Upcoming upLIFT webinar:
| Training Type | Training title & date | registration link |
|---|---|---|
| Live Webinar |
upLIFT Webinar Series - June 2026: Parent Involvement: Encouraging Family Participation in School Nutrition June 16, 2026, 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM |
Register Here |
Past upLIFT webinars:
| Training Type | Training title | Training Length |
|---|---|---|
| Webinar | Taste Testing and Feedback: Involving Staff and Students to Improve Meal Programs (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Creating Confidence in the Kitchen - Scratch Cooking Edition (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Opportunities for Program Recognition Featuring AHS and Laveen School District (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Success Stories from the Field: Schools that Transformed Their Meal Programs (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Nutrition Education and Teaching Kids to Appreciate Healthy Eating (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | From Farm to Cafeteria: Sourcing Fresh, Local Ingredients for Schools (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Innovative Menu Design: Creating Tempting and Nutritious School Meals (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
| Webinar | Introducing Plate to Palate: Transforming School Meal Perceptions! (Recording) (Slides) | 0.5 Hour |
Nutrition Knowledge Fact Sheets
This educational resource will feature information on a specific nutrition topic that can be applied to school food service. The educational content of these fact sheets will match the content of the monthly webinar, when applicable.
- September 2025 - Processed vs Ultra-Processed
- October 2025 - Common Food Allergies
- November 2025 - Probiotics Deep Dive
- January 2026 - Tuning Into Hunger Cues
- February 2026 - Immunity Boosting Foods
- March 2026 - Foodborne Illness Prevention
- April 2026 - Navigating Dietary Restrictions
- May 2026 - Boost Your Bone Health
- June 2026 - Feeding Your Brain
INSPIRE
Find Your Inspiration: upLift Photostream
- View the upLIFT Photostream here
FEED
Taste AZ Promotion
Each month, the Arizona Department of Education Health and Nutrition Services (HNS) will promote an Arizona-grown or available food by releasing an informational resource designed to provide fun facts, availability schedules, and unique recipes.
- July 2025 - Blue Cornmeal
- August 2025 - Canary Melons
- September 2025 - Summer Squash
- October 2025 - Sweet Bell Peppers
- November 2025 - I’Itoi Onion
- December 2025 - Radishes
- January 2026 - Oranges
- February 2026 - Broccoli
- March 2026 - Kale
- April 2026 - Beans
- May 2026 - Strawberries
- June 2026 - Local Produce in Arizona
Kitchen Creations
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) was awarded a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition Training Grant that supports the initiation of the Kitchen Creations project. This project specifically focuses on creating standardized recipes for use in school meal programs. All recipes standardized under the grant will feature local and native foods as the primary ingredients.
TEACH
Fresh Perspectives
September 2025: Claim – “School Meals are Too Processed”
October 2025: Claim – “School Meals Taste Gross”
November 2025: Claim – “School Meals are High in Sugar”
Janaury 2026: Claim –“My Kid Hates School Meals”
February 2026: Claim – “School Meals Contribute Too Much Food Waste”
March 2026: Claim – “School Meals Are Paid For by the School's General Education Fund”
April 2026: Claim – “School Menus are Limited and Boring...”
May 2026: Claim – “Schools Sell Too Much Junk Food”
June 2026: Claim – "Positive Marketing Has No Effect on Your Program...”