This week, the Tisch Food Center wrapped up its special free offering of Teaching Food & Nutrition for All. 500 educators from around the world participated, and we’re thrilled that the response to the course has been overwhelmingly positive.
Six of our participants reflected on their motivations for taking the course, how it broadened their perspective of food and nutrition education, the importance of school nutrition programs, and their plan to implement the tools and knowledge gained from the course.
In their words:
Julie Berman, Gardening and Cooking Instructor, Beth El Day Camp New Rochelle, NY says,
“I joined this course because I feel passionate about the need for children to be empowered to choose to eat nourishing, simple food. I teach cooking and gardening to children ages 4-8, and I see first-hand how motivated my students are to learn about and eat foods that they grow and cook themselves. However, I felt there were holes in my background knowledge, and I hoped to become a more effective educator by becoming more well-versed in the topics and methods of teaching food and nutrition. This course provided me with so many excellent resources and activities I can use with my students to inspire them and create supportive environments that will make it easier for them to make good choices around food.”
Esther Seha, Student Success Coordinator & Social Science Specialist, Paladin Career Tech, Blaine, Minnesota says,
“I find food to be the perfect medium to create conversations about issues of health, sustainability and social justice. Participating [in this course] has reconfirmed my perspective that health- and environment-related perspectives on food are incomplete without taking into account social justice as the foundation of how we approach the way our kids (and adults) eat. I have immensely benefited from learning about the history of food and nutrition education and about the frameworks that have been developed to help guide the study of food in the classroom and beyond.”
Clintona Richard, 1st Grade Reading Interventionist, Joseph C. Shaner Elementary School, NJ says,
“I have a new understanding that what is taught about food at this age shapes future interaction. When we “inspire” and “motivate” students to make good nutritional choices for themselves, we are investing in their futures...After taking this course, I will look at my school environment in a new way. While we have great programs in place like the option for breakfast, free water at lunch, salads as a daily option, and a monthly food dispersion, we can still make more changes to benefit our students, such as additional fresh food options and curriculum promoting nutrition and its importance. As educators, our role does not simply end when a child can read a word or perform a math strategy. We are here to promote the “whole” child, shaping their minds and advocating for their physical well being. ”
Kaley Feenstra,Health & Wellness Coordinator, Boulder, CO says,
“Since taking this course, I plan to change my health and wellness lessons to include more action plans, and reinforce the framework that was introduced in this course, so that students KNOW what to eat to be healthy, they have a WHY behind eating healthy and they know HOW to do it... It is our duty as educators to help students understand our food system and to take part in conversations that can influence policy change. Knowledge is truly power and I believe that many of those in our communities are not aware of all of the factors that influence what kids are eating in our schools and how that impacts the future of our country.”
Alaina Pribis, Farm Educator, Queens County Farm, NY says,
“Being a farm educator puts me in a rather unique position to talk about nutrition, because food production is happening right in front of students’ eyes, and it can be a great tool to help them want to get involved… When nutrition is introduced to kids in a clinical way (as it often is) and they’re taught how many nutrients they should have every day, students lose their connection to food and instead only focus on the nutrients. Especially in New York City, where many people are far removed from the labor that goes into growing fresh food, it is especially important to highlight the importance of the work that goes into growing the foods that keep us healthy.”
Lucia Ferrante, Science Teacher, Port Chester Schools, NY, says:
“The course provides a hands-on approach to delivering that education to students so that they might make the necessary changes in their thinking about food, their relationships to it and their ultimate food choices for themselves and their families - creating the social change and mainstream shift that is vital if we are to sustain the planet for all life.”
Click on the author’s name to read their full blog posts. Blogs have been edited for clarity and length.
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