Nebraska Career and Technical Education Conference 2026

Move beyond MyPlate and explore the New Pyramid as a modern approach to nutrition education. This session will introduce the New Pyramid while participants learn and share resources to help students better understand everyday nutrition and make informed food choices using current nutrition science. Have a resource you developed for the New Pyramid? Bring it along to share it with fellow educators.

Whether you are teaching introductory knife skills or advanced sauce-work, the 45-minute class period is often the biggest hurdle for high school culinary educators. However, in the professional world, efficiency is the skill. This session provides a comprehensive blueprint for transforming the short-block lab into a high-energy, workforce-ready environment.We will move beyond "just making a snack" to explore how any high school recipe can be engineered for a 45-minute window without sacrificing rigor or sanitation. We will share a versatile portfolio of recipes—ranging from foundational pantry basics to modern global flavors—that fit perfectly into a single period. Participants will leave with the strategies and templates needed to turn their classrooms into efficient, professional training grounds that prepare every student for the pace of tomorrow’s workforce.