Unity, Hope, Joy, and Self-care  - These are the ingredients Chef Daniel Thomas and panelists cooked up during their opening session Cooking Up Empowerment: Ingredients for Food Citizens Transformation for this year’s Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior International Annual Conference. The session kicked off a weekend of learning, inspiration, and networking with fellow health care professionals from across the world.

North Carolina Extension Employees joined together in Washington, D.C. for professional development and networking at this year's conference focused on Empowering Food Citizens: Together for Nutrition and Food Systems Transformation. Re-connect, Re-nourish, Re-inspire. Attendees were able to develop skills in the area of leadership, food sustainability, cultural responsiveness, capacity building, health equity, and so much more. A full agenda left staff inspired and motivated to bring back new ideas to implement within their communities here in North Carolina.