All Child Nutrition Managers and Directors in Arkansas
school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program, and are
paid from the non-profit food service account, are required to be certified by
the Arkansas Child Nutrition Unit.
Managers must complete Culinary Directions Part I, Part
II, and one year of on-the-job training to be eligible for certification with a
recommendation from their district. Managers must recertify every five
or six years by attending Manager Recertification Training to maintain their
certification. See the attached General Information for Manager
Certification Training for more details.
Directors must complete Culinary Directions Part I, Part
II, Directors Training, and at least three digital learning sessions during
their one year of on-the-job training to be eligible for certification with a
recommendation from their district. Directors must maintain at least
12 hours of professional development annually to maintain their director
certification. Directors may attend Manager Recertification to
maintain their manager certification.
The 2021 Child Nutrition Culinary Directions Training
will be held VIRTUALLY, and daily sessions will be held via ZOOM Meetings and
Breakouts. Participants will need to
have an individual district email address (cannot be the director’s email
address), computer or laptop with a camera and microphone, and a quiet space to
attend training. Part 2 participants
will need to have access to a school kitchen, its equipment, and designated
supplies. Daily attendance for the
duration of the schedule will be required and monitored. Participants will join using one link
provided via email a few days before the training to the manager’s individual
district email that was listed on the registration form. Attendance is required and will be tracked
using the individual email address.
Virtual Culinary Directions Part 1 for Managers and
Directors – two-week session
June 7-18, 2021
Virtual Culinary Directions Part 2 for Managers and
Directors – one-week sessions
Session A: June 7-11, 2021
Session B: June 14-18, 2021
Virtual Culinary Directions Manager Recertification
June 22-24, 2021
For general information about becoming a certified Child
Nutrition Manager and/or Director, and workshop registration information, see
the below attachments:
- 2021 Child Nutrition Manager Training Program Information
- General Information for Manager Certification Training
- Rules Governing the Certification and Continuing Professional
Development of Child Nutrition Directors, Managers, and Workers
Registration is required and will be open from April 9th
to May 7th, 2021. Registrations received
after the deadline will not be guaranteed a seat in the training.
Maximum capacity of Part 1 is 275. Maximum capacity of Part 2 is 120, and
maximum capacity of Recertification is 275.
Participants who register after the maximum capacities are reached will
be added to a waiting list and will not be guaranteed a seat.
Those registering for Recertification should have
certifications expiring in 2021 or 2022.
Seats will not be saved for managers who need to recertify in 2023 or
beyond.