F2S Institute Team Resources
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Your Coach is your first point of contact.
If you need additional assistance, contact:
Aubree Roth, Montana Farm to School Coordinator
(406) 994-5996
About the Montana Farm to School Institute
The Montana Farm to School Institute is a year-long program that kicks off with a three-day Summer Retreat from August 16-18, 2022 at Chico Hot Springs in the Paradise Valley. This new program is intended to ignite, grow, and sustain farm to school action within Montana schools and communities by providing training and support, and facilitating team building and action planning.
The goal of the Institute is for farm to school teams representing Montana schools or school districts to develop one-year farm to school action plans which will be implemented during the 2022-2023 school year. Action plans will encompass goals, activities, roles, and timelines focused on the three core elements of farm to school – local procurement, education, and school gardens/farms. In addition to developing action plans, teams will be connected to information, ideas, tools, resources, programs, and people to successfully implement their action plans through the sessions at the Summer Retreat.
Three school districts were selected from across the state to participate in this first year--Hamilton, St. Ignatius, and Power. Each team, ranging from four to eight members of the school community, was assigned a trained Farm to School Coach who will help facilitate the process of developing an action plan during the Institute and will support the team with implementation of the plan during the 2022-2023 school year. Activities at the Institute will help to strengthen the farm to school teams and ensure that there is full “buy-in” for implementing the action plan.
The Montana Farm to School Institute is hosted by Montana Team Nutrition Program at Montana State University, Montana Office of Public Instruction, and many other partners.
The Farm to School Institute model was developed by Vermont FEED using evidence-based best practices in professional learning.
The Montana Farm to School Institute is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm to School Grant as well as additional sponsors. This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Timeline + Roles
The Timeline + Roles document describes the tasks that need to be completed, timeline for completing them, and the School Teams and Coach roles for each task.
Orientation Webinar
The Montana Farm to School Institute Orientation Webinar for teams was held on Tuesday, May 24 at 3:30-4:30pm. All School Team members are required to attend the webinar live (strongly preferred) or watch the recording.
Assessments
Pre-Assessments
These are to be completed by July 15, 2022.
Individual
The Individual Pre-Assessment Survey should be completed by all members who were listed on the school team's application by July 15, 2022. The first part of this assessment includes questions about your perspective of the current state of your school/districts F2S activities, readiness, and team. The second part of the survey includes questions about the Summer Retreat.
Team
Each school team should complete one Team Pre-Assessment Survey by July 15, 2022. Please consult the appropriate individuals to gather accurate information that includes the whole team's perspectives.
- Instructional Video
- Instructional Video Transcript
- Team Pre-Assessment Survey
- Local Food Procurement Question Spreadsheet
Post-Assessments
The post-assessments are to be completed by May 31, 2023.
Individual
The Individual Post-Assessment Survey should be completed by all members who were listed on the school team's application by May 31, 2023.
Team
Each school team should complete one Team Post-Assessment Survey by May 31, 2023. Please consult the appropriate individuals to gather accurate information that includes the whole team's perspectives.
- Instructional Video
- Instructional Video Transcript
- Team Post-Assessment Survey
- Local Food Procurement Question Spreadsheet
Summer Retreat
Basics
The Montana Farm to School Institute Summer Retreat will be held in-person at Chico Hot Springs near Pray, Montana on August 16-18, 2022. The event will begin on Tuesday, August 16 at 10:00am and end on Thursday, August 18 at approximately 3:00pm. Meals will be provided.
The team members listed on your School Team's application are expected to attend and actively participate in the entire Summer Retreat. However, it is acceptable if 1-2 members of your team are unable to attend.
CEUs will be available for those attending the Summer Retreat. College credit will not be available for those attending the Summer Retreat.
Mid Year Gathering
The Montana Farm to School Institute Mid Year Gathering for teams was held virtual on Wednesday, January 11 at 3:30-4:30pm.
Other Resources
- Action Plan Template - School Teams will create their Farm to School Action Plan during the Summer Retreat and implement throughout the 2022-2023 school year.
- Media Kit - This document provides tips and suggested verbiage for getting the word out about your district's participation in the Institute.
