PATHWAYS PROFILE
FRESHFARM FoodPrints: Making Space for Wellness in the Kitchen & Outdoors
Resources to help families share joyful experiences cooking together and learning about the natural world
BY HANNAH SCHIFF, LEAD EDUCATOR & PROGRAM MANAGER
Through the past year, families have been receiving many tips on how to stay healthy, fit, and well during a pandemic. This influx of information and advice can be hard to fit into fam - ily life—enter FRESHFARM FoodPrints. Our health and well - ness resources focus on fun family activities that are part of ev- ery day exploration outdoors and in the kitchen. For us, learning, joy, and wellness go hand in hand and depend on one another. FRESHFARM FoodPrints integrates gardening, cooking, and nu - trition education into the elementary school curriculum through a model of partnerships, standards-based curriculum, cafeteria con- nections and food access at 15 elementary schools across Washing - ton, D.C. Our expert educators teach hands-on lessons that get stu- dents excited about growing, preparing and enjoying fresh, local whole foods—and bring science, math and social studies to life—with the goal of improving health outcomes of children and families. Learning About Cooking and Science at Home At the outset of the pandemic, FoodPrints educators worked to - gether to create FoodPrints Anywhere with videos, guides, and ac - tivities that help families build cooking skills and nutrition knowl- edge, learn about science and math in the garden and kitchen, and cook and eat nutritious recipes together at home (www.freshfarm. org/foodprints/foodprints-anywhere). The goal of FoodPrints Any - where is for families to be able to recreate the fun and engaging el- ements of the FoodPrints in-school experience in their own homes with minimal supplies and minimal screen time. With a variety of seasonal produce readily available, as well as relaxed routines during summer break, now is a great time to explore and enjoy. Some examples of resources in FoodPrints Anywhere include: • The Salad Dressing Challenge: A guide for students and fami l i es on how to invent their very own salad dressing with ingredients they have on hand. • 5 Senses Taste Test: Students and families explore any food in their kitchen using their 5 Senses. • Discover the Ingredients in Soil: Students become soil scientists by observing and sorting all of the different ingredients that they find in soil they collect near their home. • Make your own mancala board: A video and written directions so students can learn how to make a mancala game board out of recycled materials, and then learn how to play the game. • Social Emotional Learning videos: A series of Social Emotional Well - ness videos to help students and families manage stress and new ex- periences Many of these resources are available in Spanish: Food - Prints Donde Sea, aprendiendo actividades en Español. We hope that FoodPrints Anywhere can help families make much needed space for a break from computers and phones and create excitement and laughter for families everywhere. Families Cooking Together On our FoodPrints Anywhere site, we have two sections dedicat - ed to cooking skills and recipe videos. These videos and our cooking with kids guide offer ideas that make cooking as a family doable and
enjoyable. Our videos are geared towards elementary-age students, so that kids can learn skills and make recipes that allow them to take on a larger role in cooking meals for their families. For example, through our videos, kids can learn how to cut onions or make fried rice. We really believe that children, even as young as Pre-K age, can be helpful to their parents in the kitchen. Cooking together can deepen family relationships by increasing collaboration and cre- ating unique time for parents and kids to chat and spend time to- gether. During in-school FoodPrints classes, students take the helm when cooking—they happily chop, mix, stir, set the tables, and gather around to eat together. By using our videos and recipe guides, we hope that similar experiences can be recreated at home. We provide more fun, engaging, and creative resources in the areas of cooking, gardening, science, and physical activity on our Food- Prints Instagram. Archived live events with our teachers include: rec - ipe classes on how to make Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Salad; Mini Pizzas at Home made by FoodPrints students at School Without Walls at Francis Stevens
continued on page 31
Making hand-shaken design-your- own salad dressing at home during the pandemic
Early spring kale harvest at Bur- roughs Elementary
PATHWAYS—Summer 21—7
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker