
Sharing Indigenous Cooking Traditions in New Mexico
FoodCorps launched the Black, Indigenous, Multiracial, and People of Color (BIMPOC) School Nutrition Leadership (SNL) Network in 2020 to create opportunities for FoodCorps AmeriCorps service members, alumni, school nutrition professionals, and those aspiring to this career, to connect around leadership development, mentorship, and networking.
We created this network in response to the need for staff of color working in school nutrition to feel seen, heard, and valued—an essential step in promoting equity in schools. Alongside our partners, FoodCorps—believes we must make an intentional effort to increase diversity in school nutrition, especially among professionals who have decision-making responsibilities, in order to best serve all students, families, and school communities. Through this growing network, we hope that you’ll find a supportive community of BIMPOC peers in school nutrition and join us in our mission: to nourish kids’ health, education, and sense of belonging.
Since the creation of the BIMPOC SNL Network in 2020, we’ve held a series of events to learn from our peers and colleagues about what they’d like to see from this program. Here’s some of what we’ve done so far to engage our community:
Conducted six workshops on leadership, career development, and equity
Held a Spring 2021 convening on equity leadership, including an interactive culinary demonstration
Launched a mentorship program in Fall 2021, connecting school nutrition veterans with folks just starting in the field.
Convened school nutrition professionals to develop a framework for culturally relevant school meals