ADVOCACY IS EDUCATION

BY BOBBIE GUYETTE, 2022-2023 SNA-WI PRESIDENT-ELECT

From the outside looking in, anyone who is not a “School Nutrition Professional” would have no idea all the details that go into our work. One of these key details is the topic of advocacy. Oxford dictionary defines advocacy as “the public support of a particular cause.” This definition seems intimidating to many, and rightly so. It takes a lot of courage to speak for what you believe to be right or true in a public setting. There is always a possibility that you will be met with disagreement or questions you may not know the answer to. These are legitimate fears that have kept many in our profession quiet.

I would like to flip the script on advocacy. Personally, I feel like Wikipedia’s definition of education better defines what advocacy really is: “Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims…These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty.” Put even more simply, advocacy is just telling your story! The realization that I did not have to fully understand the intricacies of government business, and only had to share my perspective on the work I perform every day was a game changer for me when advocating for school nutrition programs at the federal and state levels.

An even more important realization we as a profession have come to realize this year in the state of Wisconsin is the need to educate and advocate in our own districts and communities. District staff, students, parents, and community members alike simply do not understand the details of our programs, and what it takes to provide a meal program suited for and liked by students. At the end of the day our main goal is shared by all—providing for children!

My hope is what you are reading in this edition of School Tray Today motivates you to educate someone in your direct reach about what you do for kids, what you need to do it better, and what you are lacking that restrains you. If you can lay out those pieces to those who surround you in your work and life you will help us push the dial forward in school nutrition. If this is brand new to you, take the pressure off and have this conversation with your mom or an office neighbor. Every time you tell your story you will learn something and build on the experience for the next time. Go for it!