We hope you will join us in Wichita, October 9-11, 2026!
Click here to learn more about this year’s conference!
Attendees can register now by clicking here.
Check out what’s in store for this year’s conference here!
Book your stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton here. By using this link, you can book a room with the group’s preferred rate.
Industry partners, we hope you will join us for this year’s Industry Showcase! Click here to learn more about this event and here to register.
2026 Educational Sessions
Building the Bridge for Special Diets: Nutrition, Nursing and Student Safety
KSDE-led panel; school nurse included | 1160 – Special Diets, Including Food Allergies
Serving students with food allergies and other special dietary needs takes coordination from the first request through the serving line. This KSDE-led panel will bring school nutrition and nursing perspectives together to discuss documentation, communication, substitutions, ingredient changes, cross-contact prevention and staff training. Using common school situations, the panel will help participants spot gaps and strengthen the way their teams support students and families.
Nutrition Education in Child Nutrition Programs
KSDE | 1220 – Classroom and Cafeteria Integration
The cafeteria gives students daily opportunities to experience food and connect nutrition lessons with real choices. KSDE will share practical ways to use menus, taste tests, student feedback and classroom partnerships without creating another program for staff to manage. The session will include ideas that can be adapted for elementary, middle and high school students.
Menus Students Want, Meals That Meet the Requirements
Presenter TBD | 1120 – Cycle Menus
A menu can meet the meal pattern and still miss with students. This session will connect compliance with participation, student feedback, food cost, staffing, equipment and product availability. Participants will work through a practical process for testing new items, reviewing results and building cycle menus that students want and kitchens can produce.
Bridging Procurement, Budgets and Reality in School Nutrition
Julie Henry | 2400 – Purchasing/Procurement
Julie Henry will focus on the purchasing decisions that affect menus, product quality and program finances. The session will cover procurement methods, competition, specifications, documentation, substitutions and price changes through real school nutrition examples. Budget impact will be included because purchasing decisions and financial sustainability cannot be separated.
Building Meaningful Vendor Partnerships: Industry Representative Panel
Melissa Hurley, moderator; panelists TBD | 2400 – Purchasing/Procurement
This panel will give school nutrition operators and industry representatives an honest look at what each side needs for a productive working relationship. Guided questions will cover specifications, forecasting, substitutions, shortages, deliveries, documentation and problem resolution. The discussion will remain educational and noncommercial, with fair procurement practices as the boundary.
What’s Working in Kansas: Real Program Success Stories
Panelists to be selected | Specific 2000 subtopic pending
Kansas school nutrition teams are solving problems every day. Each panelist will share one operational challenge, the change their program made, the resources it required and the result. Stories may involve production, service, inventory, staffing, food safety, waste or meal quality. The goal is to give participants ideas they can adapt—not polished success stories without the lessons learned.
Bridging Policy to Practice
Ruchi Favreau | 3320 – Compliance with Regulations/Policies
Ruchi Favreau will connect child nutrition policy with what directors and managers must do in their kitchens and offices. The session will focus on selected requirements, common implementation gaps and practical ways to improve procedures, staff communication and documentation. Participants should leave better able to check whether written policy matches daily practice.
Collaborating with Community Health Professionals
KSDE | 3230 – Healthy School Environment
KSDE will help participants identify community health partners who can support school nutrition and wellness goals. The session will cover how to define a shared need, clarify responsibilities and begin with a project that is realistic for both organizations. Possible partners include public health departments, healthcare providers, extension professionals, school nurses and wellness coalitions.
AI in the Cafeteria Office: Prompt, Plan, Produce
Beth Courtney | 3510 – Using Technology for the Job
Beth Courtney will demonstrate how AI can help school nutrition professionals organize information, draft communications and build a usable starting point for everyday work. Examples will include meetings, staff training, procedures, promotions and planning. Participants will practice writing a stronger prompt and reviewing the result for privacy, accuracy, compliance and tone. AI can save time, but the school nutrition professional remains responsible for the final decision and final product.
Telling Your Story and Building Bridges Across Departments
Lauren Couchois | 4150 – School and Community Communication
Lauren Couchois will help participants explain the value of school nutrition to administrators, teachers, boards, families and community partners. The session will connect program results and real stories with district priorities, then look at the relationships that make communication easier before a problem occurs. Participants will identify the audience, message and communication channel that best fit their own program.
The Recipe for Connecting with Colleagues
Matt Upton | 4140 – Communication Skills
Matt Upton will use a school nutrition-inspired recipe to examine the daily habits that build strong teams: clear communication, ownership, follow-through, recognition and a focus on solutions. The session will stay grounded in kitchen and district realities, where pressure is high and every role matters. Participants will choose practical habits they can use with their own teams.
You Can’t Choose Your Pesky People, but You Can Choose Your Response
Matt Upton | 4140 – Communication Skills
Difficult personalities and frustrating interactions are part of every workplace. Matt Upton will help participants slow down the reaction, listen with curiosity, acknowledge the person and redirect the conversation toward a solution. The session will also address accountability and professional boundaries so kindness is not confused with avoiding hard conversations.
