Students from Franklin, Harnett and Union County Schools received top honors Wednesday in the North Carolina Summer Nutrition Programs promotional materials contest, in which students design promotional materials to help increase the awareness of N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs.
Student promotional materials contest winners were recognized at the opening session of the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina Annual Conference.
Student promotional materials contest winners will be recognized at the opening session of the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina Annual Conference at the Koury Convention Center on Wednesday, June 20, 4-6:30 p.m. The Koury Convention Center is located at 3121 High Point Road, Greensboro.
The N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs, administered by NCDPI School Nutrition Services, provide meals at no cost to children and teens, ages 18 and younger, at almost 3,000 locations statewide during the summer months. Last summer, more than 5.2 million meals were served to children and teens through these programs, yet only 12 of every 100 eligible children benefited. Part of the challenge is lack of awareness about the meal program.
“The state’s Summer Nutrition Programs provide a critical service to students who may go hungry when school is out. Raising awareness of these programs is key to reaching students who need summer meals,” said Cynthia Ervin, N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs manager. “What better way to reach students than to have students create promotional materials. Students listen to their peers and know what messages will resonate with them,” she said.
For the contest, students in grades 6-12 were encouraged to design and submit promotional content such as a theme song, jingle, rap, dance, skit, public service announcement or other animated creation to help get children and teens excited about meeting up to eat up, enjoy physical activity, learn and have fun through N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs. Only one entry per student or student group was allowed. Submissions were required to be original and created completely by the students. Award recipients were:
First Place: Snap Chat
Student - Sean Stanley
Teacher/Adviser - Joe Dennis
Porter Ridge High (Union County Schools)
Runner-Up: Rap
Students - Kaleb Beckstrand, Thomas Faulkner
Teacher/Adviser - Valerie Hawthorne
Franklinton Middle (Franklin County Schools)
Runner-Up: Dance
Students - Jahdea Beard, Tanayzha Elliott, Jamia Harrington, Brooke McKinney, Melasha Smith, (accompanied by the Harnett Central High School Nutrition Team)
Teacher/Adviser - Sara Williamson, Career Development Coordinator
Harnett Central High (Harnett County Schools)
Runner-Up: PSA
Students - Ashlyn Bennett, Elijah Cornelius, Geysa Hernandez, Harper Howell, Kendall Gleaton, Brooke McKinney, Cameron McKinney, Margarita Plancarte, Donovan Silfies
Teacher/Adviser - Sara Williamson, Career Development Coordinator
Harnett Central High (Harnett County Schools)
In addition to their recognition this week at the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina's annual conference, the students will be honored also during the North Carolina School Nutrition Administrators Conference in October. The Dairy Alliance provided gift cards as awards to the winning entries.
Follow this link to a playlist that features all the winning entries.
The NCDPI, School Nutrition Services Section administers the Summer Nutrition Programs with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For questions regarding N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs or the promotional materials contest, contact NCDPI Summer Nutrition Programs ManagerCynthia Ervin.
USDA and NCDPI are equal opportunity providers and employers. Additional information regarding School Nutrition Programs in North Carolina can be found on the School Nutrition Services website.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) available online and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
* mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
* fax: (202) 690-7442; or
* email.
About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 160 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.