Carroll County Nutrition Director Angela Adkins was nominated to speak at a national conference in Colorado recently. She discussed the number and types of grants awarded to the district since she became director.
Each year the United States Department of Agriculture hosts training for the states. Equipment grants have been in the spotlight for the last few years so that topic was selected for the annual meeting. The Kentucky Department of School Nutrition nominated Adkins and Shelina McClain from Graves County.
The two were part of a panel of speakers who were given 10 to 15 minutes to share their county demographics, equipment needs and how they selected the equipment and grant applications. Their presentation was titled “Modernizing School Lunch Through School Equipment Assistance Grants.”
Adkins said two people in leadership for the Kentucky Department of School Nutrition attended and complemented their presentations. “They gave both Kentucky contributors rave reviews and stated that the audience was very impressed with our work for our districts,” Adkins noted.
Their session was so popular they had to move to the hallway to answer questions while other sessions continued.
“This was an honor for me to be selected by the state and USDA to participate at this level,” she said.
Carroll County Schools Superintendent Casey Jaynes offered his congratulations to Adkins. “This is a great example of what we are striving for to be a #cctop10 district. Congratulations to Ms. Adkins on her selection by the state to present on a national level,” Jaynes said. “She and her team are a valuable asset to our students and families."
Adkins has secured the following grants since becoming Nutrition Director in 2022:
Fuel Up to Play 60 - Milk Dispenser at CCMS $4,000
USDA grant for Combi oven at CCHS $18,000
USDA grant for Combi oven at Winn $18,000
Breakfast carts for Winn $2,000
Reach-in refrigerator for CCMS $2,000She is awaiting notification on applications for another $200,000 in grants.
“Utilizing these opportunities will help improve our meals and update our kitchens with more efficient equipment,” Adkins said.