2026 Back-to-School Conference & School Chef Symposium
September 16–17, 2026
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center & Indian Pueblo Entrepreneur Complex
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Join the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) and our partners at Brigaid for two full days of professional development for school food professionals across New Mexico.
Participants will engage in two training tracks: NSLP Training and Hands-On Scratch Cooking Training. Attendees will be divided into two groups, with each group participating in one track on the first day and switching to the other track on the second day. This ensures every participant completes both trainings.
**Both days of training are required for all participating SFAs.**
Who Should Attend?
The conference is designed for school food professionals, including:
School food service directors and program leadership
Cafeteria and kitchen managers
School chefs and culinary staff
Frontline cafeteria staff
Staff responsible for training and supporting school kitchen teams
SFAs are encouraged to send staff who can share what they learn and support implementation in their districts.
Why Attend?
Strengthen your knowledge of NSLP requirements and best practices.
Build practical scratch cooking skills through hands-on training.
Learn school-ready recipes and techniques from professional chefs.
Connect with school food professionals from across New Mexico.
Bring back tools and strategies to strengthen your school meal program.
Training Tracks
NSLP Training
Classroom-style sessions focused on key NSLP topics, program requirements, and practical strategies for successful school meal operations.
Hands-On Scratch Cooking Training
Interactive culinary training led by professional chefs, focused on scratch cooking techniques and school-ready recipes to support SFAs in meeting or exceeding New Mexico’s 50% freshly prepared meals requirement.
**Both days are required for all SFAs.**