Copperas Cove ISD’s Child Nutrition Department Earns Prestigious Awards

COPPERAS COVE – Copperas Cove ISD’s award-winning Child Nutrition department has added to its vast collection of accolades by recently winning two Healthy Meals Incentives recognition awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award and the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award.

This award recognizes departments that offer nutritious school menu options reflecting the diverse cultures of students. Copperas Cove ISD facilitated student-community menu collaboration and provided culturally-appropriate nutrition education. In the summer of 2024, CCISD’s child nutrition team launched the initiative “Around the World On Your Plate,” working with students during select summer camps to create internationally-inspired dishes that educate students on food from other cultures while appealing to their palates. This initiative has continued throughout the school year, featuring a different culture on the district’s menu each month.

This award honors departments that implement nutrition education activities connecting classroom, cafeteria, community, and home for students and their families. CCISD earned this recognition for its Taste of Texas Harvest of the Month initiative with the Texas Department of Agriculture, which educates students on Texas-produced foods and emphasizes locally-sourced ingredients on the district’s menu.

“Both awards are a demonstration of the hard work that our child nutrition team puts into every meal we serve to students,” said Melissa Bryan, Director of Child Nutrition & Warehouse in Copperas Cove ISD. “We have worked with the students in our district to learn what foods they like or dislike. Through that, we have also learned of different foods with different flavor profiles that they wanted to taste on the menu. This communication piece is so important because it allows us to serve them tasty meals that they actually want to eat.”

CCISD’s child nutrition department will be recognized at a national Healthy Meals Summit in Las Vegas, courtesy of the USDA and Action for Healthy Kids organizations. Cindy Long, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, emphasized the importance of supporting schools in providing tasty and nutritious meals to improve child health. She highlighted the remarkable achievements of Copperas Cove ISD Child Nutrition Department in offering nutritious meals that students enjoy and expressed excitement for them to share their best practices with other schools.