“Tons of appreciation for hosting the Teaching Culinary Techniques workshop. I definitely went away with ideas that I can instantly implement, and use with learners of all ages and abilities. The hands-on cooking portion was a great demonstration and was as fun as it was informative. I would love to connect again in the future!”
-Sean M, Farm to School Coordinator, New York
What is a Food Educator Workshop?
Each workshop is based on one lesson from Food is Elementary, an evidence-based curriculum used nationally and internationally to educate and empower students of all ages to understand basic nutrition concepts and develop cooking and gardening skills.
Who are the Food Educator Workshops for?
Teachers, parents, volunteers, chefs, doctors, school food staff, afterschool educators, Head Start and daycare providers, camp counselors, health educators, diabetes educators, RD’s, nutritionists, health coaches, culinary medicine and lifestyle medicine doctors, garden educators, extension educators, senior center staff, anyone interested in teaching others about food.
Food Educator Workshops Menu
Sample a Food is Elementary lesson
Food Labels: Making Informed Choices
Based on the Food is Elementary Food Labels lesson, this workshop walks participants through how to read the ingredients list and nutrition facts panel, and analyze front-of-package advertising. Help your students navigate food labels, develop critical thinking and media literacy skills, and make informed choices.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn egaging strategies for teaching students about food labels
- Analyze advertising tactics and claims
- Learn how to count and categorize the ingredients list
- Receive a Food is Elementary lesson plan
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
October 14 from 9-10am ET
October 14 from 3-4pm ET
Vitamins: A Rainbow a Day
This workshop, based on the Food is Elementary Vitamins lesson, introduces creative strategies for teaching students how eating a rainbow of colorful whole foods supports growth, energy, and well-being. This workshop includes journal activities that connect the natural colors of food to the vitamins they provide and the body parts they nourish.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Discover fun ways to teach the connection between food colors, nutrition, and health benefits
- Experience the lesson as a student
- Explore a rainbow of whole foods and how their colors reflect essential nutrients
- Receive a Food is Elementary lesson plan
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
October 21 from 9-10am ET
October 21 from 3-4pm ET
History of Halloween
Many children, when asked, name Halloween as their favorite holiday. Yet do they know that Halloween has deep roots in ancient Celtic agricultural traditions that involve the harvest, honoring the dead, and rituals from the past? Give your students a deeper understanding and appreciation of Halloween through activities that go beyond costumes and candy.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn about the ancient beliefs and traditions that led to trick or treating and carving jack-o-lanterns
- Receive a lesson plan with activities
- Receive recipes for Soul Cakes, Baked Apples, Mulled Cider, and Colcannon
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
October 21 from 12-1pm ET
October 21 from 4:30-5:30pm ET
“I learned a lot of new information and was able to immediately apply my learning to my lessons. I was given tools that will directly benefit my teaching practice.”
– Kristina S, Food Educator, Maryland
Vocabulary Acquisition via Food Writing
Food is a tangible, sensory-based medium that’s ripe with authentic opportunities for vocabulary acquisition. Help your students expand their vocabulary by describing the look, smell, taste, and texture of a variety of foods. Teach onomatopoeia, synonyms, and other literacy concepts through food writing, a skill that students can practice independently, daily.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Become familiar with the three sisters planting method
- Receive a Teacher’s Guide and lesson plan
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
November 4 from 9-10am ET
November 4 from 3-4pm ET
Thanksgiving: Celebrating America’s Bounty
Hundreds of foods native to the Americas have sustained human life for millenia. Thanksgiving is a great time to honor indigenous foods of the Americas and the early Americans who developed methods for growing and cooking these foods, and shared this knowledge with others.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn about the wide variety of foods native to the Americas
- Explore the history of Thanksgiving
- Receive a Food is Elementary lesson plan
- Receive four recipes featuring foods native to the Americas
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
November 11 from 12-1pm ET
November 11 from 4:30-5:30pm ET
Science & Math of a Vinaigrette
Explore what happens when oil and vinegar meet, and why they separate. Through tasting, observation, prediction, and experimentation, we will investigate polarity, emulsification, the role of an emulsifier, and how changing the proportions of ingredients affects a vinaigrette’s flavor, texture, and stability. Aimed for educators teaching grades 6-12.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Experience learning activities as a student first, then unpack the science behind it
- Receive a unit of study with complete lesson plans
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
November 11 from 9-10am ET
November 11 from 3-4pm ET
“I’ve learned how to incorporate these lessons into the limited space that is left for this level of engagement in the [school] curriculum. I have been so inspired as an educator.” – Elysia C, Elementary Teacher, Maryland
Spices: Gingerbread Houses
Explore the history of gingerbread and the spice trade and learn how to make a gingerbread house from scratch or a kit. In addition to tips and tricks for building and bedazzling a sturdy house, this workshop blends food, creativity, and history into a memorable perfect for learners of all ages. The warm, fragrant spices will make your place smell amazing.
In this workshop participants will…
- Explore the history of gingerbread and the spice trade
- Receive recipes for gingerbread house, cookies, and royal icing
- Gain access to online course materials including how-to videos, photo recipes, and house templates
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
December 2 from 9-10am ET
December 2 from 3-4pm ET
Vegetables: Plant to Plate
This workshop, based on the Food is Elementary Vegetables lesson, offers an engaging entry point into nutrition, botany, and culinary arts through the lens of vegetables. Gain strategies to help your students take a broad view of vegetables, using a blend of science, gardening, and tasting activities that make learning both fun and meaningful.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Explore which part of the plant is being eaten for each vegetable
- Discover easy ways to grow vegetables
- Receive a Food is Elementary lesson plan
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
December 9 from 9-10am ET
December 9 from 3-4pm ET
Mindful Tasting Adventures
Based on the Food is Elementary Mindful Tasting lesson, this workshop is focused on helping students slow down and pay attention when they’re eating. Focusing on the sensory aspects of eating enhances pleasure and appreciation, and can become a vehicle for developing written and spoken expression to describe tastes and textures.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Experience a mindful tasting
- Gain strategies to help students acquire vocabulary to describe taste, smell, and texture
- Receive a Food is Elementary lesson plan
- Gain access to online course materials
- Earn 1 NYSED CTLE HOUR
Workshop Wednesdays
December 16 from 9-10am ET
December 16 from 3-4pm ET
“I feel that my perspective has changed in that it has been broadened. Discussing cultural awareness, effective teaching techniques, hands-on-activities, food policy, botany, biology, etc. allows me to fill my bag of teacher tricks with more information to bring to my students.”
– Benyka M, Food Educator, Georgia
Book a Group Workshop
Online – Contact us to book a private Food Educator Workshop, delivered online.
In person – Contact us to book an in-person workshop for groups in the following counties in NY State: Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Ontario, Seneca, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, and Yates.
