Kids enjoy food from the Utica Community Schools Food and Nutrition Services Department, which recently won an award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
By: Sarah Wright | Shelby-Utica News | Published July 20, 2025
UTICA — The Utica Community Schools Food and Nutrition Services Department has been honored with the Innovation in Nutrition Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
The goal of the award is to honor school districts that implement nutritional activities that create connections between the cafeteria, the classroom, the community and home. UCS provides students more than 3 million meals annually.
“This award demonstrates the vital role our food service team plays in the success of our students,” Superintendent Robert Monroe said in a press release. “The Food and Nutrition Services Department remains committed to making sure our students have the nourishment they need to focus on their learning.”
Some of the activities, noted for this award, that UCS has implemented include:
• Introducing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to students, like figs, candy cane beets, or kumquats.
• Serving items that feature whole grain and have lower sugar and fat than items found at grocery stores.
• Posting regular information on the department’s social media sites from registered dietitian Vinnie Kape, who also visits classrooms to promote healthy eating habits.
• Involvement in the district’s annual family wellness fair.
“We are excited to provide new food and new healthy experiences for our students, staff, and the community,” Food and Nutrition Services Director Mandy Sosnowski said in a press release. “We love introducing things to students they may have never heard of or tried before and then being able to explain how they can be part of a healthy lifestyle. We are also fortunate to partner with some amazing educators to help keep the healthy message alive in the classroom as well as the cafeteria.”
UCS Coordinator of Public Relations Jennifer Kane noted that the Food and Nutrition Services Department does source some items locally, such as Blake’s and Peterson Farms for apples, Prairie Farms for milk, and Bosco Sticks, which are produced in Warren.
Also, the department is coordinating free meals for children 18 years or younger this summer. The Summer Meals program is at 15 different sites in the district and is expected to serve over 60,000 meals to children in the community.
“Last year UCS participated in the Michigan School Meals program which provided all Michigan public school students with one free breakfast and lunch for the 2024-25 school year,” Kane said in an email. “There was no criteria to qualify for the free meals during the school year, and there is none to qualify for the free meals this summer.”
“The recognition awards are an opportunity to showcase innovative school nutrition practices that provide children with access to nutritious school meals,” Robe Bisceglie, executive officer and president for Action for Healthy Kids, said in a press release.
For more information, visit uticak12.org.