SDE awards federal technology funds for child nutrition across Idaho

The State Department of Education is allocating more than $175,000 in federal Technology Innovation Grant money, allowing 13 school districts and child care organizations to implement innovative technology for child nutrition programs.

The grant money will help districts purchase technology solutions for the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program and National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

“Each mini-grant is tailored to meet specific local needs, from computers and scanners to programs for menu planning, inventory control and nutrition analysis,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said.

• Emmett: $3,199.92 for eight Fujitsu desktop scanners
• Orofino: $24,000 for keyless entry and a temperature monitoring system
• Challis: $5,873.96 for three laptops, Mosaic Cloud back of house multi-site menu planning, nutrition analysis, production records, inventory and ordering software, set-up and support for two sites.
• Culdesac: $3,235.19 for two computers and one laptop
• Nampa: $23,885 for Mosaic Cloud-based menu planning, POS, F/R App and inventory control upgrade
• West Jefferson: $8,803 for Mosaic POS, meal planning and inventory
• Jerome: $19,912.93 for a copier, 12 computers, four desktops, six printers and seven Dymo Labels
• Vallivue: $20,117 for EMS LINQ, upgrade server database, 13 thermopens and boots, one iPhone inventory scanner, set-up and training, inventory, menu planning, purchasing, Bluetooth temperature monitoring
• Pocatello: $10,703.67 for 19 Chromebooks
• Firth: $10,753 for computers, scanners, keypads, menu planning software and licensing
• Children’s Learning World: $24,000 for 10 Surface Go 2s, eight Workforce Pro 6 Pavilion All In Ones, website design, two ProCrate software licenses and two QuickBooks licenses
• Lewis-Clark State College: $653 for one iPad, five iPad cases and Apple Care insurance
• Nutrition Works: $20,000 for Kidcare by Minute menu training

This is the second round of the Idaho TIG distribution under a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to the SDE.

Elected officials earn money for local schools in walking challenge

Sixty of Idaho’s elected officials completed the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health’s annual Steps for Schools walking challenge, raising $50,000 for schools. All participants had the option to either average 5,000 steps per day in February to earn $500 or average 10,000 steps per day to earn $1,000 for a school.

Forty participants reached 10,000 steps. This was the seventh year of the walking challenge for legislators and other elected officials. Over that time, the Foundation has awarded $171,700 to Idaho schools.

Schools can use the funds earned to purchase equipment or sponsor programming that encourages children to be active. Funds can also be used for COVID-19 relief efforts.

Idaho’s IDeal college savings program releases app

Idahoans now have easier access to information about their IDeal – Idaho 529 College Savings Program accounts by using the new mobile application.

Currently, the app enables users to view their account balance and performance and recent history of contributions and check investment allocations. Christie Stoll, Executuve Durector of IDeal, said the app will be growing, including functions that will allow users to share their individual gifting codes to encourage family and friends to contribute to the 529 accounts.

The app is available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.

STEM Action Center Foundation adds new members

The Idaho STEM Action Center Foundation added three new board members: Christine Frei, Angela Hemingway

and Hayley Rambur.

Frei is the executive director of Clearwater Economic Development Association in Lewiston. In two decades of work, Frei has secured almost $9 million in grant funding for CEDA, helping support business and community projects.

For 15 years, Frei has served on the board of directors of the Economic Districts of Idaho and is currently board president. She is also a member of the Lewis-Clark State College’s Business Advisory Council and IT Advisory Board. She recently served on the National Association of Development Organizations board of directors.

Hemingway is T-Mobile’s K-12 education industry segment advisor, joining in December after five years as the STEM Action Center’s executive director.

Before that, Hemingway worked at the Department of Education as its director of assessment and accountability, was a STEM teacher in Kuna, Boise and Meridian, and was an adjunct instructor of biology,

microbiology and teacher education at Boise State University for over 20 years.

Rambur is the community education manager at Perpetua Resources in Donnelly. She is the 2021 program chair of the American Exploration & Mining Association and is a member of the Women’s Mining Coalition Congressional Communication Committee.

“We are excited to have three exceptional women who represent STEM businesses and stakeholder groups join our foundation’s board of directors,” said Kaitlin Maguire, the STEM Action Center’s interim executive director. “In addition to lending us their incredible expertise, Christine and Hayley help make the board more geographically representative of the state. And Angela, as the STEM Action Center’s original executive director, brings invaluable continuity, and we are thrilled she will continue to play a role in its future.”

The new members will join president David Hill, from the State Board of Education, secretary Laurie Anderson, Micron Technology Foundation K12 programs manager, treasurer Nick Aldinger, IBL Events co-owner, and Molly Pricket, J.R. Simplot Co. environmental engineer.