HART Participants

HART Participants

Welcome to the HART Initiative!

You have joined high school students across Texas to help promote school meals and Texas agriculture to your peers. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is honored to have you as a member of the 2024-2025 HART cohort.

For returning Ambassadors, you’ll notice some big changes this year. You should find the Initiative more engaging with more support from TDA. New Ambassadors will find participation requirements for recognition clear to follow and resources to help you succeed. Be sure to read the Participant Guide to find guidance, templates, and other resources.

Child Nutrition Directors and Advisors should also expect more support and direction from TDA if they need it. For the most support, please attend all Office Hours and virtual meetings you can.

Please reach out to HART@TexasAgriculture.gov if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to supporting you and seeing your creativity in action!

HART Roster

Hart Initiative Roster

Click here to view the 2024-2025 HART Initiative Roster.

HART Applications are Now Open!

The student application for School Year 2025-2026 is open now. If you are interested in continuing your HART Ambassadorship, please fill out this shortened version of the application.

Resources

Project Needs
This is your page for all tools necessary to achieve recognition as a HART Ambassador. Scroll down to find your Participant Guide, templates, recruitment flyers, and more.

CND/Advisor	Do you know a staff member who would make a good HART Advisor? Do you speak to other CNDs you think would like to get the HART Initiative started in their high school(s)? Use this flyer for recruitment purposes.
Students	Do you have classmates or friends who have a passion for health and wellness? Do you know students who are interested in developing their public speaking skills and would be good at promoting school meals and Texas agriculture? Use this flyer to let them know about HART. The QR code leads them to an interest form and they will be contacted by TDA.
Progress Report - JotForm Progress Report - Microsoft Forms	The progress report is where TDA tracks your projects for recognition. Use your tracker to make filling it out faster and easier.
Participation Guide	The HART Participant Guide is your complete resource for your Ambassadorship. Inside this digital copy, you’ll find an overview of the Initiative, expectations, a project calendar, templates, and resources.
HART Impact Survey	TDA is collecting information to gauge the impact the HART Initiative has on school meal participation. Please fill out this short survey to help us track how HART students influence meal participation.
Templates	All templates needed for TDA assigned projects can be found here. Templates are used for the following months: September, November (Farmer, Rancher, and Food Producer), December, January, and February.
Tracker	New in 2024, the tracker is a scheduling tool to help you keep all of your progress report information in one place. Enter relevant information and attach this to your progress report to cut down on the amount of time needed to fill it out.

Meetings and Newsletters
Find monthly newsletters and recordings of all virtual meetings here.

	Welcome Webinar
	March 2025 HART Bi-Monthly Meeting

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Texas Department of Agriculture Logo

Welcome to the HART Initiative!

HART Roster

HART Applications are Now Open!

March 2025 HART Bi-Monthly Meeting