Leadership Academy on Combating Child Hunger

Posted by on February 19, 2012

Cities Invited to Apply for Leadership Academy on Combating Child Hunger through the Federal Afterschool Meal Program

NLC Initiative to Offer Additional Funding and Assistance

National League of Cities invites municipal leaders to apply for one of two regional leadership academies that will help them reduce child hunger and supplement current funding for out-of-school time programs in their communities by increasing participation in the federal Afterschool Meal Program.

With support from the Walmart Foundation, NLC will cover travel costs for 10 cities at each of two leadership academies that will be held May 2-3 in Washington, D.C., and May 22-23 in Portland, Ore.

» Download the request for proposals to apply

http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/iyef/family-economic-success/work-supports-public-benefits/cities-combating-hunger-through-afterschool-meals-programs

The academies will be offered as part of a new, $1 million initiative funded by the Walmart Foundation and led by NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families in partnership with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

City leaders selected to attend a leadership academy will receive in-depth training and learn about practical strategies for helping more children receive federally-funded meals after school and on weekends through the expanded Afterschool Meal Program. Cities that participate in one of the leadership academies will also be eligible to compete for regranted funding (up to $60,000 per selected city), as well as more intensive technical assistance from NLC and FRAC to boost program participation.

The federal Afterschool Meal Program reimburses city agencies, schools and nonprofit organizations that provide nutritious meals at their afterschool and weekend programs for children and youth. Passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in December 2010 made this program available in all 50 states following a successful 13-state pilot project.  Mayors and other city officials are in a unique position to help public and nonprofit afterschool providers take advantage of this opportunity.

Cities selected to participate in the leadership academy will be encouraged to set specific local targets for increasing afterschool meals participation and to develop a strategy for working with afterschool providers to achieve those goals. Teams of up to three city officials and other stakeholders from each of the 20 selected cities will have the opportunity to learn from national experts and city leaders who have launched innovative local approaches and will return home with new ideas and strategies for combating child hunger and bringing federal dollars into their local economies.

NLC will select cities to based on evidence of high-level municipal leadership and commitment to increasing the number of children receiving nutritious meals after school; collaboration among city, school and community agencies; and a clear indication of how cities plan to use the leadership academy to advance local efforts.

For more information about the leadership academies, contact Imani Hope at (202) 626-3180 or ihope@nlc.org or Laura Fischer at (202) 626-3056 or fischer@nlc.org.

» Learn more and download the request for proposals

http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/iyef/family-economic-success/work-supports-public-benefits/cities-combating-hunger-through-afterschool-meals-programs

» Learn more about the Afterschool Meal Program

http://frac.org/federal-foodnutrition-programs/afterschool-programs/