Throughout Virginia and Maryland, school nutrition programs are serving a new delicious and nutritious local protein while supporting Chesapeake Bay conservation efforts. Blue Catfish has found its way into a variety of school menu items as part of the Virginia Bay to Tray initiative. Come hungry, as this interactive session will inspire new menu ideas and attendees’ taste buds while we explore the Chesapeake Blue Catfish: its versatility as a student-approved menu item, the importance of working together to reduce Blue Catfish populations to restore the Bay’s ecosystem and the region’s way of life, and next steps to add it to your menu. Session Learning Objective In this session, attendees will: -be students for the day as they participate in an interactive taste test by sampling a Blue Catfish menu item; -learn about the nutritional characteristics of Blue Catfish, the local economic impact of purchasing Blue Catfish, and Virginia and Maryland conservation efforts to reduce the Blue Catfish population; -learn how to prepare kitchens to safely cook raw protein, including fish products; -market Bay to Tray efforts to increase student knowledge and engagement; and -leave inspired with tangible next steps to incorporate student-approved Blue Catfish items into the menu.