In 2018, JWB invested in a Teen Food Insecurity Study, as part of the Pinellas Childhood Hunger Collective Initiative. The research showed that preference was the second largest factor hindering food security for teens, and it was recommended that schools find ways to elicit student input into school lunch menus.  The results? For a second year in a row, Pinellas County School students are taking part in the Student Food Connection to help choose what they want on their school lunch menu.

For the second year in a row, Pinellas County Schools are letting students choose what they want on their school lunch menu.

Hundreds of students from several schools in Pinellas County rode buses to Pinellas Technical Campus to taste-test 28 different recipes, and vote on what foods should make the cut.

Falafel, quinoa, hummus, turkey burgers, chocolate chip mini pancakes, those are only a handful of the options, and none of them are items you typically see on a school lunch menu.

Lynn Geist, the Director of Food and Nutrition for Pinellas County Schools, said the “Student Food Connection” is a result of a teen food insecurity study that was conducted at Pinellas County Schools a couple years ago.

“One of the things the kids said was, ‘we would like to have more input into our menus at school,’” said Geist.

So, Pinellas County Schools put together the “Student Food Connection” program, where the school lunch vendors come in from all over the country with new recipes. They let the students taste-test the food and vote for what they want to see on next year’s school lunch menu.

“It gives us a variety, it feels like we have a decision,” said one of the students.

Once the kids tried out the lunch items, they went over to an iPad, where they voted on which items they think should make the cut.

Any items that rank in the middle will be featured at schools throughout the school year.

This is the second year Pinellas County Schools has done this program, and they plan to continue to do it in the future.

To view the news story by ABC Action News WFTS-TV, visit: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/pinellas-county-schools-students-taste-test-vote-for-items-they-want-on-their-school-lunch-menus

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) has launched a nationwide search for a new CEO to succeed Dr. Marcie A. Biddleman, who plans to retire in Sept. 2019 after 10 years with the organization.

Biddleman announced this to the JWB board two years ago and reaffirmed her plans during her most recent evaluation. The board has seated a CEO Search Committee, comprised of its members, charged with finding her replacement.

Established by a Special Act of the Florida Legislature in 1945 and approved overwhelmingly by Pinellas County voters in 1946, JWB is an independent special taxing district that responsibly invests property tax dollars to give children the best opportunities to lead healthy, successful, and satisfying lives.  JWB is governed by an 11-member board and nationally accredited through the Council on Accreditation.

In the 2018 fiscal year, their annual program budget of $57 million strengthened the lives of 66,000 children and families through investments in 88 programs with 49 nonprofit agencies. In addition, their collective work with Pinellas County partners addresses such complex issues as childhood hunger, grade-level reading, and preventable child deaths.

JWB’s investments and work are focused on four strategic areas: School Readiness, School Success, the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and Strengthening Community.

The full position description may be found at jwbpinellas.org/about/careers. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and salary range by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, electronically in a Word or PDF format to ceosearch@jwbpinellas.org.

To view article by The Weekly Challenger visit: http://theweeklychallenger.com/jwb-ceo-dr-marcie-a-biddleman-announces-her-retirement/