The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) will provide training opportunities to SFSP sponsoring organizations on program regulations and operations. This memo includes a detailed list of training events scheduled for fiscal year 2025 (FY25).
Training will be offered in several formats: an interactive online course, live Zoom sessions, recorded on-demand presentations, and in-person at the DESE office in Everett. Almost all training methods will yield a completion certificate and DESE does not require one training format over another. Live training events will hold space for questions from programs, but if sponsors are unable to attend a live session, they can attend the Town Hall events or send questions directly to their consultant.
Each SFSP sponsor is required to complete an SFSP training annually. This requirement is verified via the online application where a training completion certificate is uploaded into the "SFSP Annual Training Participation Certificate" component. This is required for an application to be considered fully submitted.
Effective FY25, the application renewal training will not count towards the annual training requirement. Sponsors must complete any of the available operational-based trainings to meet the annual training requirement.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The following events will be held live over Zoom. These events will allow participants to ask questions about the information presented. Some of these events will be recorded and a recording will be made available after the event.
DESE will offer a one-day in-person training in the office space in Everett, MA. This training will provide a deep dive into several important aspects of the SFSP and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and talk with their peers.
There is a cafeteria in the building with food, drinks, and coffee available for purchase. No cash is accepted.
DESE staff will be available during this time to answer questions and review documents.
FNP is pleased to announce the availability of an interactive, online training course which reviews the major components of operating the SFSP. The course, Operating the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) , provides important information on the SFSP, including site types and eligibility, meal service, meal pattern, program recordkeeping, and program monitoring. This course serves as an interactive and engaging complement to the SFSP Program Guide which is released by DESE.
This resource is accessible to all, and sponsors are encouraged to review this training content with their program staff. A certificate of completion is available at the end of the course.
Recorded, on-demand SFSP trainings are available in the "SFSP Sponsor Training Materials" folder in the Document and Reference Library in the DESE Security Portal.
The following training courses are available on-demand. These may be used to train SFSP site staff, as appropriate.