The Solution
FoodCorps provides a comprehensive response to our country's painful and costly childhood obesity epidemic.
Our approach is based on three interventions:
- Knowledge: Nutrition Education that teaches kids what healthy food is
- Engagement: School Gardens that engage kids and community volunteers
- Access: Farm to Cafeteria programs that put local food in school lunch
"When we taste tested fresh pesto one girl commented: 'I'd rather have this than a cookie when I get home from school.' " - Jackie, service member
KNOWLEDGE: Nutrition Education
The typical elementary student receives just 3.4 hours of nutrition education each year. FoodCorps Service Members work with teachers to increase the quality and quantity of nutrition education, and we work hard to make it fun. Service Members solicit professional athletes and chefs for classroom visits, conduct hands-on cooking demonstrations, and model positive lifestyle choices that motivate kids to exercise and eat well.
ENGAGEMENT: School Gardens
School gardens are powerful gateways for getting kids to try new foods. They also bring parents and community members together and help them become advocates for healthier school lunch. FoodCorps Service Members establish or expand school garden programs, engaging students, parents and community volunteers in the active outdoor play of growing fruits and vegetables.
ACCESS: Farm to School
Children who know the farmer who grew their broccoli are more likely to eat it. Studies show that children participating in Farm to School programs consume one more serving of fruits and vegetables per day. FoodCorps Service Members create relationships between school food service directors and local farmers and help transform cafeterias into educational environments where healthy food choices are promoted through creative methods like tasting displays and food games.
“We get very excited to eat things we usually don’t like, like broccoli, spinach, peas, and carrots..we grew it, so we like it a lot more." - Eva, age 10
How We Do It
FoodCorps Service Members are dispatched to organizations that have a high-impact track record working to create more just food systems for vulnerable children. We don't reinvent the wheel. FoodCorps knows there are effective groups out there already doing this important work––we put Service Members under the direction of these local partners already familiar with their region's needs.
Sound Good?
Join us! Apply to be a FoodCorps Service Member. Or learn about other ways to get involved in the solution!
