Accessible Version
Official Seal of the California Department of Education

Form

Child Nutrition Advisory Council Student Member Application

Nutrition Services Division

The California Department of Education (CDE) is currently accepting applications for one student member to serve on the Child Nutrition Advisory Council (CNAC). Please be concise as you complete this application. All applications, including letters of recommendation (LOR) are considered public records and will be available for public inspection.
CNAC Position and Term
The CNAC is recruiting one student member to serve a term starting September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Application Submission
The application must be completed online. Hard copy applications will not be accepted. Applicants may upload all supporting documents. For assistance, please email the CNAC team at CNAC@cde.ca.gov.
Application Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026
Required Items
Please be sure to have the following items available for reference and/or upload:
  • Contact Information
  • Letter of Recommendation:
    • One letter of recommendation (LOR) from a current or previous teacher is required. Teachers may submit the LOR directly to the CNAC email at CNAC@cde.ca.gov. The LOR attachment must be a Microsoft Word (DOCX) or Portable Document Format (PDF) file.
  • Grades:
    • A copy of your most recent semester report card or semester transcript for reference, to report your grade point average or GPA. A copy of this most recent report card or transcript may be requested at a later date.
  • Optional Items:
    • You may upload supporting documents about yourself no earlier than seventh grade (e.g., newspaper clippings, articles, etc.). Items from earlier years will not be reviewed. The optional items attachment must be in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, DOCX or PDF.
  • Awards, Honors, or Commendations Received (if applicable)
  • Parent or Guardian Signature:
    • Your parent or guardian must be available to sign and agree to the Statement of Understanding included in this application.
    Instructions
    All questions in this application are required unless marked optional.
    The Save Responses button allows you to save your place in the application and return to it later. When you select the Save Responses button, a new screen will appear, and then you will be provided two options that will allow you to access the saved application: 1) save the application's unique URL as a bookmark or add it as a “Favorites” in your web browser or 2) provide your email address and you will be emailed the unique URL.
    The Print Responses button allows you to print a copy of your responses for your records. When you select Print Responses, a new tab will open showing a printable version of the entire application and your responses. To return to the recommendation, select the original tab in your web browser.
    Questions
    For more information about the CNAC, please visit the CNAC web page. If you have any questions, please email CNAC@cde.ca.gov.