the kindergarten initiativeA Healthy start to a healthy life

The Kindergarten Initiative has been made possible through the generous support of the Claneil Foundation. The Claneil Foundation,Inc., is a private foundation incorporated in 1968 under the laws of the state of Delaware. The Claneil Foundation works to createhealthy communities by supporting organizations that: make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and the institutions thatsupport them; develop an informed, educated, and engaged citizenry; and increase the understanding and appreciation of natural,built, and cultural assets.

Additional funding has been provided by the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust, Greenfield Foundation (Goldsmith Fund), Subaru ofAmerica Foundation and PENNSYLVANIA NUTRITION EDUCATION TRACKS, a part of USDA’s Food Stamp Program. To find outhow the Food Stamp Program can help you buy healthy foods, contact the PA Department of Public Welfare’s toll-free helpline at 1.800.692.7462. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This document is protected by applicable law. All rights reserved.

A Healthy start to a healthy lifethe kindergarten initiative

Introduction

Check out the Toolkit CDLook for this symbol to direct you to tools and resources on your CD that will help you to start a Kindergarten Initiative in your school or school district.

In addition to the full text of this manual, the Toolkit CD contains both “How to” and “Resource” sections for each chapter to assist you in your efforts to help children grow healthier bodies and minds.

Since the Kindergarten Initiative began in 2004, I have watched childrenchoose carrots over cookies, explain with enthusiasm where their foodcomes from, and prepare healthy snacks with their parents. TheKindergarten Initiative combines eating, farming, parent involvementand nutrition education into an integrated program that impacts howchildren think about and enjoy food. Children love healthy food, andwhen it is available to them in an appealing and fun way, they will eat it as quickly as they will devour candy. When children’s senses are engaged,

and they are encouraged to use their inquisitive nature to discover healthy food choices,they develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

As teachers, policymakers, and parents search for ways to teach our children about makingnutritious food choices, we offer this toolkit as a valuable resource to help people who careabout children do just that. This toolkit outlines the story of how The Food Trust created aprogram that promotes healthy eating through education, snacks from local farms, parentinvolvement, and community support. The program has proven so effective that in 2007,the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the “Healthy Farms, Healthy Schools” Act creating a statewide policy modeled after the Kindergarten Initiative.

The enclosed CD that accompanies this booklet gives more detail about how to implement a Kindergarten Initiative in your community. It provides useful resources that will save youthe trouble of reinventing things that have worked for us. We’ve included classroom lessons, sample press releases, and planning guides that can be modified or used “as is”depending on your specific needs. While some educational materials on this CD were created with Pennsylvania educational standards in mind, any of them can be easily adapted to your area.

We encourage you to use the resources and information in this toolkit to create a programthat will benefit the children and families in your community. Take this and make it yourown: children will thank you!

With warm regards,

Yael LehmannExecutive DirectorThe Food Trust

I. Learning about the Kindergarten InitiativeA. What is the Kindergarten Initiative? p2

B. Starting a Kindergarten Initiative in Your Area p4

II. Implementing the Kindergarten InitiativeA. Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture Education into a Standard Curriculum p6

B. Feeding Children Well p10

C. Connecting Children to Growing p14

D. Partnering with Families to Create Change p18

E. Bringing the Community on Board p22

I. Learning about the kindergarten initiativeA. WHAT IS THE KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE?

2 • WHAT IS THE KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE?

At The Food Trust, we have developed a compre-hensive program that brings all of these partners

together so that students can, at an early age, begin to form lifelong healthy eating habits, a documentedkey to the fulfillment of academic and behavioralpotential (Action for Healthy Kids, 2004, p.6).TheKindergarten Initiative is a creative way to get childrento make healthy food choices, helping to ensure thattheir minds and bodies grow healthy and strong.

Research has shown that children are not getting theright kinds of food they need to grow up healthy and

Who doesn’t want children to Fulfill theiracademic and behavioral potential?As educators, parents, advocates, and community members we know this is a complexgoal that involves partnering with all who care about children’s well-being.

strong; in particular, our nation’s children do not eatenough fruits and vegetables. In fact, only 23% ofAmericans eat the recommended five servings a day of fruits and vegetables (Lin, 2004, p.1-2). Suchunhealthy eating habits contribute to increased ratesof diabetes, heart disease and even some forms of can-cer (American Heart Association, 2007). While candy,soda and chips are readily available to our nation’schildren, fresh fruits and vegetables too often are not.

A well evaluated program, the Kindergarten Initiativebrings the best practices and research in public health

WHAT IS THE KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE? • 3

and nutrition education togetherto create a program that reallyworks and that children, teachersand parents enjoy. Through formal research studies, involving surveys and classroom assessments,we have seen increasesin knowledge andbehavior changes inteachers, students andparents, as a result ofthe KindergartenInitiative. LOOK ON THE CD FOR EXAM-PLES OF SURVEYS ANDOTHER ASSESSMENTINSTRUMENTS USED AS WELL AS THE FINAL EVALUATION REPORT.In response to a surveyquestion about whetheror not the Kindergarten Initiative benefited students, one teacher wrote:

“Without question. When I signedon for this program I didn’t real-ize it would benefit the children as much as it did! I hope my chil-dren will continue to make goodchoices in the future.”

Combining classroom education,healthy fresh food, parent involve-ment and community connectionhelps children make healthychoices and educates them aboutwhere their food comes from

(Contento, 2002, p.2). It makeseating and learning enjoyable—not just for children, but for theirteachers and their parents too! In the words of Terry Gillespie, aparticipating kindergarten teacherin the Norristown Area SchoolDistrict in Pennsylvania, “Children[who were served the program’shealthy snacks] were saying‘asparagus, yum!’ and popping

cherry tomatoes in their mouthslike candy.” Terry believes that byparticipating in the KindergartenInitiative, she is providing her stu-dents with an important boost upon the ladder of academic success.

The KindergartenInitiative not onlyhelps children changetheir behavior, but alsocreates a healthier andmore supportive foodenvironment in theclassroom and athome. How? By takingan integrated, holisticapproach to educatingchildren about foodand growing. The Kindergarten Initiative includes:

• Integrating nutrition and agriculture education into regular lessons

• Feeding children well

• Connecting children to growing

• Partnering with parents

• Bringing the community on board

“When I signed on for this program I didn’t realize it would

impact the children as much as it did! I hope my children will continue to make good

choices in the future.”

I. Learning about the kindergarten initiativeB. STARTING A KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE IN YOUR AREA

4 • STARTING A KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE IN YOUR AREA

The information in this guideand the resources available on

the included CD will be useful inbeginning a Kindergarten Initiativein your area. Your KindergartenInitiative, however, will be differentfrom the one described in thismanual because you will tailor it tosuit your particular needs. In addi-tion, your planning will includechallenges that will be unique toyour educational setting and geo-graphic area.

The kindergarten initiativeuses a holistic approach to foster healthy eating habits in children. By bringing together schools, parents, and communities to educate children about healthy eating and to experience nourishing food, theKindergarten Initiative makes a strong impact on children.

This toolkit shows how The Food Trust implemented the KindergartenInitiative in southeastern Pennsylvania and demonstrates options forimplementing the program in your area. The toolkit will help you:

“I hope that this program continues. It has had a profound effect on my students. This establishes a healthy snack foundation for children.”

1. Identify your school and commu-nity partners and make sureeveryone understands their rolein creating, implementing andsustaining a successful program.

2. Explore ways to integrate nutri-tion and agriculture educationand gardening into your regularcurriculum.

3. Create a system for gettinghealthy snacks to your studentson a regular basis and includesome locally grown fruits andvegetables.

4. Develop a Parent Program thatincludes regular monthly activi-ties and events to maximize par-ent involvement.

5. Establish a relationship with alocal farmer who can host farmfield trips and who is willing towork with you to create appropri-ate farm and nutrition lessons.

6. Design and implement easy anduseful ways to evaluate your pro-gram’s success, which will assistyou in finding champions whowant to sustain your program.

STARTING A KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE IN YOUR AREA • 5

A FOCUS ON LIFELONG HEALTHY HABITS:Children need fruits and vegetables to grow uphealthy and strong. The Kindergarten Initiativenot only provides access to delicious, fresh, localfruits and vegetables, but also motivates studentsto want to eat them. Research done by Dr.Jennifer Fisher of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston shows that “young children learn toprefer foods that are familiar and ones present-ed as “acceptable” in their homes.” By address-ing children’s nutrition in the classroom, homeand community, we can have a real impact ontheir eating habits (Fisher, 2001, p. 12).

A “SENSE”ABLE APPROACH TO LEARNING: Learning theory tells us that children use all their senses to learn. So what better way to help them learn what’s good for them than by tasting healthy foods?When all their senses are engaged in making healthy choices, children will choose food that nour-ishes them. By experiencing the farm seasonally, smelling and tasting fresh produce during snacktime, cooking with their parents, and exploring a variety of healthy foods on a regular basis, children more easily learn and retain knowledge about nutrition and agricultural concepts(www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/keys/The_Importance_of_Sensory_Experience.pdf).

A “HOME AWAY FROM HOME” IN THE CLASSROOM: For most young children, home is where they findsafety and security, and where they build trusting relationships with adults. Good teachers capitalizeon this by extending the idea of the classroom as the children’s home away from home and bybeing the adult that children trust in this new setting. Research in the UK has shown that environ-mental factors can strongly influence taste preference in children. (Breen & Wardle, 2006, p.443-7).That means if students are given the right environmental cues in the classroom, they willtrust that environment to be one in which to enjoy new foods. The Kindergarten Initiative worksto expand this circle of home and trust by having children establish a relationship with the farmerwho grows their food. When children develop this friendship bond, they get just as excited aboutstrawberries, apples and even broccoli as they do about candy and chips! As part of a kindergarten-er’s learning experience, they are taught about their community and environment. Learning aboutwhere food comes from broadens their concept of community and helps them develop a positiveconnection to their environment.

A FEW KEY POINTSTHAT SHAPE THE KINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE

Read on to learn how The Food Trust brought five components together to create an effective program tohelp children develop healthy eating habits early in life.

II. Implementing the kindergarten initiativeA. INTEGRATING NUTRITION AND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INTO A STANDARD CURRICULUM

6 • INTEGRATING NUTRITION AND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INTO A STANDARD CURRICULUM

Kindergarten is a time for children to learnthe fundamentals of who they are and what’s around them. Food fits in naturally with these themes. Because food touches every aspect of our lives and society, it’s easy to make these connections in social studies, science, math and literacy. With the Kindergarten Initiative, educators don’t have to add nutrition and agriculture education to their daily teaching routine, they just have to integrate it.

INTEGRATING NUTRITION AND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INTO A STANDARD CURRICULUM • 7

Nutrition and agriculture education fits well intoreading, writing, story sequencing, journaling

and list making– just some of the skills that kinder-garten children are required to learn as part of theirLanguage Arts curriculum. For example, reading“Bread and Jam for Frances,” a popular story bookfor kindergarteners, takes on a whole new signifi-cance, but not additional teaching time. Teachers canhighlight the food and nutrition aspects of stories byasking children about food choices while reading. Inmath, activities such as graphing, charting, and classi-fying that use food are just as easy as those that useanimals or toys…and more delicious! Lessons aboutfamily can incorporate eating traditions and show howdifferent families are similar in their efforts to stayhealthy. Lessons about community include places tobuy or grow food and the people who provide theseservices. Science is a cinch when we consider theneeds of living things, how people and plants growand change, and how weather affects our everydaylives as well as our food supply.

The UglyVegetablesMs. Meredith, a kindergartenteacher at H.R. EdmundsSchool in Philadelphia, bringsit all together in one amazingnutrition-centered learningexperience. After reading herchildren the multiculturalbook “The Ugly Vegetables,”Ms. Meredith asked her chil-dren to share their own

favorite family and culturalfood traditions. She talkedwith the class about the varietyof vegetables and the manykinds of vegetable recipes thatdifferent cultures have. As afun conclusion, the class madetwo kinds of soup—one fromAsian vegetables and the otherfrom local produce. Then the class compared the twosoups using a Venn diagramand graphed their taste preferences.

“The children lookedforward to the snacks andenjoyed them much morethan I thought they would.

It changed a lot of howthey thought and changed

what they brought toschool for lunch.”

8 • INTEGRATING NUTRITION AND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INTO A STANDARD CURRICULUM

The Kindergarten Initiative provides educators with a

way to integrate nutrition, healthyhabits and food into their daily lessons. Through the CurriculumAlignment Plan and the KindergartenInitiative Framework SEE CD FORTHESE AND OTHER HELPFUL CLASS-ROOM TOOLS AND RESOURCES, teach-ers are shown how nutrition topicsfit into a standards-based curricu-lum and how these topics followthe kindergarten year thematically.The Curriculum Alignment Plan is a teacher-informed resource thatenables teachers to get more out ofthe same amount of teaching time.The Framework guides the teacherthrough the year by establishing a

sequence for presenting concepts.By using the Curriculum AlignmentPlan and Framework to map out hownutrition and agricultural conceptsconnect with what teachers arealready being asked to teach, theKindergarten Initiative can helpteachers bring healthy eating ideasinto every part of the kindergartenexperience.

The Kindergarten Initiative offers a series of lessons that fit into theCurriculum Alignment Plan andFramework. These lessons addresshow students grow, who is in theirfamily, and how they make deci-sions—in other words, all thethings that kindergarten teacherscover with their students, and all

the things that build the founda-tion for learning why good food isimportant and how to choose itwisely. Many teachers start by usingthese lessons, but find that overtime, they begin to naturally inte-grate nutrition and agriculture-related ideas into their daily les-sons. Children help in this processas well, finding connections inbooks and stories that seeminglyhave nothing to do with food orhealthy eating. For example, inresponse to the question “What didthe bear take over the mountain?”during a shared reading time, onechild responded “a healthy snack.”Of course, the teacher couldn’tpass up this opportunity to haveher children interact with the story,so she asked them to name all thehealthy snacks they could think of!

Lessons are not the only way tobring nutrition into the classroom.Teachers have used songs andother creative activities to engagechildren in thinking about healthyeating. YOUR RESOURCE CDHAS LINKS TO WEBSITES WHERE YOUCAN FIND SONGS AND POEMS AS WELLAS ONES THAT TEACHERS IN THEKINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE HAVE CREATED. Teachers can use thesongs provided or come up withnew ones with their own students!

INTEGRATING NUTRITION AND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION INTO A STANDARD CURRICULUM • 9

Where

docarrots go?Hmm….In what group do carrots belong? That’s aquestion you might hear inMs. Wismer’s classroom atHamilton Disston School aschildren explore chart mak-ing and classifying skills.

Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat, good foods to eat, Good foods to eat (snap, snap)

There are carrots, corn and broccoli,Cheese, milk, grapes and spaghettiThere are apples and tomatoes,And then there’s Cheerios.

Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat, good foods to eat, Good foods to eat (snap, snap)

Sometimes I eat some candies,Cake, soda, chips and cookies,But they don’t keep me healthy,Don’t give that stuff to ME!

Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat (snap, snap)Good foods to eat, good foods to eat, Good foods to eat (snap, snap)

Good Foods to EatBY JOANNE COLOSIMO, TEACHER F.S. EDMONDS SCHOOL, PHILADELPHIA, PA(To the tune of The Adam’s Family)

II. Implementing the kindergarten initiativeB. FEEDING CHILDREN WELL

10 • FEEDING CHILDREN WELL

experiencing a variety of delicious,nutritious and local snacks is one of the key components of the Kindergarten Initiative. Learning theorist John Deweyunderstood that “the learner needs to do something; that learning is not the passiveacceptance of knowledge which exists “out there” but that learning involves the learn-er’s engaging with the world” (Dewey, 1916).

Children in the KindergartenInitiative not only learn in

interactive ways about nutritionand agriculture concepts, but theyalso experience and enjoy local

snacks such as roasted squash,apple blueberry sauce, and pump-kin bread. Sharing these healthysnacks together in the safe environ-ment of their classroom allows stu-

dents to try new things that theymight never try at home. Bringinghealthy snacks into the classroom isalso a good way to initiate changein the school and home environ-

FEEDING CHILDREN WELL • 11

ments. Teachers have used theKindergarten Initiative as a way toencourage healthier policies on aschoolwide basis, initiating healthi-er fundraisers or support-ing school wellness coun-cils. Parents have takencues from children whocome home shouting, “Ihad this orange fruit inschool, cantaloupe, and Iloved it!” Fresh fruits andvegetables that once didnot excite their children’spalates now can be a won-derful new addition to thefamily menu.

The KindergartenInitiative incorporateslocal food into lessonsand also ensures that chil-dren have the nourishingfoods they need to grow uphealthy and strong. In theKindergarten Initiative, food has aneducational and nutritional value.Don’t just tell kids. Show them!Instead of simply telling children

what to eat, the Initiative involveschildren in the act of eating healthyfoods. Studies have shown thatwhen children are given the

option of fresh, local produce, they will choose and consume moreservings of fruits and vegetables(Mascarenhas & Gottlieb, 2000, p.5).Children’s senses are engaged as

they smell, touch, and taste fruits,vegetables and other nutritioussnacks. For this reason, snacks inthe classroom 2-3 times a week

have been an integralpart of the KindergartenInitiative.

There are different waysof doing this dependingon resources available.Possibilities include rotat-ing parent responsibili-ties for snacks or workingwith the cafeteria staff toprovide snacks in theclassroom. You can alsoconsider partnering witha local non-profit groupthat addresses nutrition,if one exists in your area.

The daily routine ofsnacks in the classroomhelps to expand chil-

dren’s taste preferences, influencingtheir ability to make healthy foodchoices. SEE RESOURCE CD FOR SNACK MENUS AND “SNACK TALK” CARDS.

“I am absolutely certainthat my children are much

more aware of choosinghealthier foods since they

will discuss this of theirown volition on non-Food

Trust snack days.”

12 • FEEDING CHILDREN WELL

I know whatgrows inpennsylvaniaDuring center time in one classroom, BonnieHallam, the Kindergarten Initiative director,noticed children playing with plastic fruits andvegetables. Children were able to identifyapples, corn and pumpkins as food grown inPennsylvania because of what they had seengrowing on the farm. They could also tell you,from their own experience at the farm, thatbananas do not grow in Pennsylvania!

“The farm trips were wonderful. My children do not get the opportunity to go on atrip like this and see food growing at the source.”

FEEDING CHILDREN WELL • 13

Food grown in your region has aspecial ability to serve as an educa-tional tool. Fruits and vegetableshelp children understand largertopics such as the weather they see outside their window every day. For example, through theKindergarten Initiative, you canexplain the cycle of the seasons,and how the area’s climate andweather affect the food that can be grown there. Reading abouthow a pumpkin grows from a seed to a giant orange squash and thenshowing how this happens by visit-ing a local farm and picking pump-kins from the pumpkin patchbrings an understanding to chil-dren far greater than just dis-cussing the growth cycle of plants.

Ending the lesson by munching onseeds that came from a pumpkinyou just picked is not only nourish-ing and enjoyable, but helps chil-dren understand how their pur-chase helps to support their friend,the local farmer. FOR MOREINFORMATION ABOUT WHY USINGLOCAL PRODUCTS IS IMPORTANT AND HOW TO INCORPORATE THEMINTO YOUR PROGRAM, SEE THETOOLKIT CD.

Food from other regions also hasan important educational value.Just as local food can teach chil-dren about their environment,food from farther away can teachchildren about other cultures,geographies and climates. In

this case, comparing apples andoranges is a great thing. At thesame time that children can touch and taste an apple fromPennsylvania and learn about how it grows and how it gets to them,they can also touch and taste anorange from Florida and learn all about a different area. You can even bring in some bananas,pineapples or other food grownabroad as part of a lesson aboutwhat grows in other parts of the world.

II. Implementing the kindergarten initiativeC. CONNECTING CHILDREN TO GROWING

14 • CONNECTING CHILDREN TO GROWING

ask a child where their food comes fromand invariably the response will be “the supermarket!” Ask a child who has gone throughthe Kindergarten Initiative the same question and he or she will tell you “the farm!”Knowing where food grows and who grows it is key to increasing fruit and vegetableconsumption among young children. The growing experience is a vital component ofconnecting children to good food and creating memories that last.

CONNECTING CHILDREN TO GROWING • 15

The Kindergarten Initiative incorporates growingactivities in two ways: trips to a local farm and

growing activities in the classroom and school.Children usually take trips to a local farm three timesa year to experience a working farm during all its sea-sonal changes. These trips are fun and educational.

Teachers and other partners work with the farmer toensure that the lesson on the farm reflects the nutri-tional messages children are also learning in the class-room. Children come away with a better understand-ing of what it takes to grow good food after they haveexperienced the farm and met the farmer.

The connection to growing engages children on anintuitive level. Later on when children are asked toidentify foods that are good for them, they often drawon what they have seen at the farm. When asked totry a new food that their friend, the farmer, has grown,they eagerly take this brave step forward.

Farm trips provide parents and caregivers with anopportunity to share enjoyable experiences with their children that center around healthy food.Considering that many of the other places parents are likely to go with their children—movies, amuse-ment parks, beaches-—tend to include a lot of junkfood, farm trips offer a way to demonstrate how goodfood can be a part of happy memories. They alsobecome important learning experiences for caregiverswho may never have heard of “spaghetti squash” or seen how potatoes grow under the ground.

“These farm trips werevery helpful for students

and parents. Parentsoften spoke about the

child asking for carrots atthe supermarket. ”

16 • CONNECTING CHILDREN TO GROWING

Allowing children to take on the role of farmer by gar-dening in the classroom fosters an experiential con-nection to agriculture(McAleese, 2007, p. 663). Ourexperience shows that children who grow food want to eat the food they grow. Seeing a child, tasked withharvesting cherry tomatoes, pick one off and pop itinto her mouth while carefully looking around so she doesn’t get caught could warm the heart of anyteacher or parent! Children have participated in sim-ple indoor greenhouse projects as well as outdoor gardening when possible. These kinds of activities arenot out of the ordinary for kindergarten classrooms.

What is distinct about how they play out in theKindergarten Initiative is that they are part of a muchlarger context that reinforces healthy eating and helps to broaden the palates of young children.Indeed, research has shown that fruit and vegetable consumption actually increases among children whoparticipate in gardening activities!

CONNECTING CHILDREN TO GROWING • 17

VEGGIE FEAR FACTOR AT SOLLY BROTHERS FARMS:Schools in Philadelphia have visited a nearby working farm.Farmer Bob plays vegetable fear factor with children andparents who agree to be blindfolded and taste all kinds ofunusual vegetables. The highlight of the game is seeing children encourage their parents to eat healthy vegetables! “My

children

would often

repeat what

they had

heard the

farmer

say! ”

Veggie Fear Factor

II. Implementing the kindergarten initiativeD. PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE CHANGE

18 • PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE CHANGE

Reinforcing messages about healthy eating athome is an important part of creating lifelong

healthy habits for children (Ogden & Brown, 2004, p.261). Parents have been integral to the success of theKindergarten Initiative. In order to reinforce whatchildren are learning and experiencing in school, The Food Trust has engaged parents in a variety ofactivities and events. The Food Trust also found thatby inspiring children, we have been able to changesome of the ways that parents think, act and shop.

After participating in the KindergartenInitiative, more than 90% of responding kindergartenparents felt that they had changed the way they shop, cook, or talk to their children about food, and more than 80% of parents reported increasedawareness around providing healthier snack options for their children.

Cooking demonstrations in the classroom have been apopular way to engage caregivers in activities centeredon healthy eating. With help from the local chapter ofthe Women’s Culinary Guild in Philadelphia, TheFood Trust has conducted a number of cookingdemonstrations, some with children and some just forparents. Cooking in the classroom has been wellreceived by parents because they love doing things withtheir children. Parents have made tortilla pinwheels,tomato and basil salad, fall fruit sundaes and other

PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE CHANGE • 19

A BUSHEL FULL OFGOOD APPLES!During November and early December, morethan 50 Kindergarten Initiative parents attend-ed our first Cooking Demonstration andWorkshop: An Apple a Day….Does It Keep theDoctor Away? Parents who attended not onlywalked away with a new heavy-duty apple peel-er and a bag of apples, but they also learned tomake a wonderfully simple, quick, low cost,versatile, and DELICIOUS Apple Compote!Parents learned how to change the “flavornotes” by adding a variety of ingredients toapples that were cut into thin wedges andcooked in a pot. We got to taste Orange ZestApple Compote, Cranberry Burst AppleCompote and traditional Cinnamon SpiceApple Compote.

Chefs Jill Horn and Betty Kaplan, both mem-bers of the Women’s Culinary Guild, graciouslybrought their culinary skills, and their greatideas to a number of the sessions. The FoodTrust staff, Dr. Sandy Sherman, nutritionist,and Tegan Hagy, Kindergarten InitiativeProject Associate shared nutritional informa-tion about apples.

“I am trying to eatmore vegetables at

dinner with her so shecan see I am trying toeat healthier too.”

20 • PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE CHANGE

healthy treats with their children during school time. Look for healthy recipes in the resources CD.

Parents take these recipeshome after the event, sotheir children can enjoy andbenefit from them again.

These cooking classes alsoserve as a way to get nutri-tion messages across to par-ents that reinforce whattheir children are learningin school. By cookingtogether, parents and chil-dren can develop positiveassociations around food.Instead of assuming thatchildren will only considerchips and candy as a treat,parents have seen that ayummy snack of fruit can beevery bit as much of a treat for kids as a bag of cookies.

Parents want the best for their children, so whenapproached with effective ways to learn about how

to help children make healthy food choices, parentsenthusiastically participate. The Kindergarten

Initiative connects the classroom and the homethrough a variety of out-reach activities. For exam-ple, the Initiative regularlysends home a newsletterthat informs parents aboutwhat their children arelearning and lets them know about upcomingevents. Look for samplesof parent newsletters on the resources CD. TheKindergarten Initiative alsoinvolves parents on trips tosupermarkets, a place theymay believe they know verywell. Local chefs have con-ducted tours of supermar-kets showing parents howthey can “shop the perime-

ter” of the market to find the most affordable, nutri-tious foods. They can also suggest recipes that are easy tomake, inexpensive, and sure to appeal to their children.

“My daughter usually tellsme what food group a cer-tain food belongs to. Shetells me whether a food isgood or bad for her. She

tells me what she haslearned when we are eatingand she doesn’t ask for soda

or sweets as often ”

INGREDIENTS4 flour tortillas

3 ounce package cream cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

fresh spinach leaves

1 red pepper cut into thin strips

grated carrots (optional)

DIRECTIONS1. Mix half of the cream cheese with the grat-

ed cheddar. Spread the top third of the

tortillas with the plain cream cheese–-putone quarter of the cheese mixture acrossthe middle of each tortilla.

2. Lay out spinach leaves below the cheese---the red pepper strips (3 to 5) go near thebottom of the tortilla—start rolling fromthe bottom of the tortilla with the red pep-per in the first bend.

3. Continue to roll, pushing the spinach intothe roll as you go. The plain creamcheese will act as the “glue” to hold thetwirl together.

4. Cut into 2 to 4 pieces remembering thatthe ends have to be longer and haveenough cream cheese to hold it together.

5. If you use grated carrots sprinkle them ina long row next to the cheese mixture oryou could mix them with the creamcheese and cheddar or eliminate thecheddar and just use carrots.

The middle cuts will have a multi-coloredtwirl—healthy and eye appealing to temptyour children to enjoy healthy options!

TORTILLA TWIRLSThis is a familiar wrap that can be fun for children to help make at home. One can use many different favorite and new foods in a tortilla. They are fun to make and to eat and can help children to be adventurous and try new foods. Add chicken to make a whole meal instead of a snack….Jill Horn

A fun Recipe for Parents and Children

PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE CHANGE • 21

PLANNING A PARENTEVENT• Find out from your par-

ents what times workbest for them (duringthe day, evenings, orweekends).

• Pick a fun activity. Itcan either be just forparents or with parentsand children. We havefound that the bestactivity is one in whichparents can participatewith their children orwatch their childrenperform.

• Send out an invitationabout three weeksahead of time and askfor an R.S.V.P.

• Send out a reminderone week ahead oftime.

• Combine fun activitieswith nutritional infor-mation and incentivesthat parents can bringhome.

• Get feedback SeeCD for tools to gatherparent feedback

“My daughter is enjoying morevegetables with dinner and she

likes to givethings at least a

small taste beforeshe decides shedoes or doesn’t

like it.”

As children learn about the impor-tance of local foods in their class-rooms, parents become interestedin learning more about this as well.They also want to find out where tobuy local foods.

The Kindergarten Initiative makessure that parents know where tofind farmers’ markets in theirneighborhoods and even providesthem with a way to purchase local produce in their school.Participating teachers runKindergarten Farm Stores thatwork much like book clubs. Parents are invited to order a variety of local, seasonal foodsthree times during the school year.Partners work with local farmerswho supply the produce.

The orders are delivered to theschool where the students learnabout each item, sort and pack thefruits and vegetables and make surethat recipes and nutritional infor-mation gets into their parents’ bag.Parents pick the bags of local pro-duce up when they come to pickup their children at the end of theschool day. Teachers find this a per-fect opportunity for children tolearn to read new words, count,gather information from a chartand work cooperatively. Parentsfind it the perfect opportunity tobring delicious, fresh fruits andvegetables into their homes!

Look for templates on theToolkit CD that will help you hold a Kindergarten Farm Store in your school.

II. Implementing the kindergarten initiativeE. BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD

22 • BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD

Attracting the media helps toget the community involved

in the Kindergarten Initiative. Interms of garnering support, radiotalk shows, newspapers and televi-sion stories are all important waysto involve the community outsideof schools in championing healthy

The Kindergarten Initiative attracts attention.The combination of good food, children, and healthy habits causes people to get inter-ested in what you are doing. This support is an important part of implementing andsustaining the program.

habits for children. One possibilityis to send out media advisories andpress releases for KindergartenInitiative events that are particular-ly appealing. Farm trips and gar-dening experiences are sometimesevents that local media will findinteresting. When dealing with tele-

vision stations, make sure toemphasize any particular visualsthat they will see at the event, suchas kids on a hayride or parents andchildren planting seeds.

BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD • 23

Many areas also have morning talkradio programs that invite gueststo discuss current events. Look upthe stations in your area and seewhat talk shows they have.Although the media can seemintimidating, most of these hostsare local communitymembers who areinterested in talking totheir neighbors aboutthe good work goingon the community.

Chefs, supermarkets,and other local busi-nesses are importantcommunity partners.Chefs are often willingto come into the class-room for a cookingdemonstration eitherwith children, parentsor both. Having a“guest chef” from a local restau-rant can be a big draw for bothparents and children. InPhiladelphia, The Food Trustworked with the Women’sCulinary Guild to find chefs to

participate in classroom activities.You can ask at local restaurants,particularly those that emphasizeusing fresh, local ingredients ifthey have suggestions about guestchefs who might participate in the program.

Supermarkets can support theKindergarten Initiative by offeringtours to children and parents,donating food, or using the storefor workshops to promote healthyeating habits in children.

Supermarket tours are a very use-ful way to educate parents abouthow to make healthy and econom-ical food decisions for their fami-lies. Many parents were surprisedto learn that by shopping theperimeter of the supermarket you

can find almost all ofthe major food groupswhile avoiding themore expensive, lessnutritious, processedfood in the middleaisles. Most supermar-kets stock produce,dairy, meat, and breadalong the walls. Theseitems are usually lessexpensive than manyof the center aisles thatare full of cookies,chips and soda. Ofcourse there are excep-tions, but that’s why a

supermarket tour is so useful.

Community health centers andhospitals also have a stake inbuilding good eating habits inchildren and are natural partners

“Children would talk abouthealthy foods and parents alsosaid their eating habits wereimpacted for the positive.”

24 • BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD

for a program such as the Kindergarten Initiative.Hospitals and community health centers are realizingmore and more that preventive medicine, in the formof healthy eating habits, is vital to their mission.Usually the best person to reach out to is someonecharged with community relations or public affairs,but contacting anyone with whom you have an existingrelationship is a good place to begin a conversationwith a healthcare facility.

Senior centers and community organizations withintergenerational programs may also be helpful com-munity partners. Senior citizens often have tremen-dous enthusiasm and knowledge about food traditionsthat they can share with young children. Senior citi-zens and children can work on projects together suchas creating picture books, storytelling, and gardening.This is another example of how the KindergartenInitiative makes it easy to incorporate nutrition andagriculture messages into other curricular areas.Senior/child teams are often a good way of connect-ing schools to communities, and in this case they canemphasize food and nutrition.

“The students are much

more aware of healthy

foods for healthy bodies.

The percent of “junk”

foods have decreased.”

BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD • 25

KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS: When all the kindergarten teachers in a school work togeth-er on this program, it increases the chances of the program’s success and ensures that thehighest number of students will benefit.Common planning time, shared experiences,interchange of ideas and camaraderie greatlyenhance teacher effectiveness.

SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL: As animportant ally, food service staff can reinforcenutritional messages, provide help in storingor possibly prepping fresh snacks, work withclassrooms to develop new foods to serve onthe cafeteria line, and provide a variety ofresources to classroom teachers.

SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DISTRICTADMINISTRATORS: It is crucial that principalsand school district administrators support theefforts of the teachers involved in this pro-gram. Besides needing words of encourage-ment and praise, teachers will need help insecuring resources.

PARENTS: Parents need to be advocates, learnersand change agents. Role modeling has beenshown to be the most effective way for parentsto change habits in children. Parents can berecruited to plan and implement events andactivities, to participate in activities and to pro-mote the program to others.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS: This should be adiverse group of partners who serve the specif-ic needs of the program, as well as communitymembers who have a natural interest in thehealth of children. This group would includefarmers, local bakers and food processorsand/or caterers, distributors, supermarket andfarmers’ market managers, community healthcenter and hospital administrators, local uni-versity community liaisons, and neighborhoodrecreation center personnel. In addition, non-profit organizations working for communityfood security, branch offices of national healthorganizations, farmer and agriculture groupsand community development organizationscould be helpful partners as well. Other com-munity partners such as faith-based groups,banks and neighborhood businesses are ofteneager to work with schools on projects thatcontribute to the well-being of the community.

LOCAL AND STATE POLICY MAKERS: Policy mak-ers help sustain effective programs. They canpropose legislation that supports the goals ofthe Kindergarten Initiative. They can publiclypromote the program and bring others onboard to support and sustain programs in theirservice areas. Their offices can provide infor-mation and useful resources.

WHO ARE THE KINDERGARTENINITIATIVE PARTNERS?

26 • REFERENCES

Action for Healthy Kids (2004). The LearningConnection: The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in our Schools. Retrieved fromwww.ActionforHealthyKids.org

American Heart Association. (2007). Retrieved fromhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identi-fier=3030480

Breen, FM. Plomin, R. & Wardle, J. (2006).Heritability of food preferences in young children.Physiology & Behavior, 88, 443-7

Brown, R. & Ogden, J. (2004). Children’s eating atti-tudes and behavior: A Study of the modeling and con-trol theories. Health Education Research Journal, 19, 261.

Buzby J, Guthrie J, & Ralston K. (2003) A HealthySchool Meal Environment, Food Assistance Research Brief.USDA, Economic Research Service.

Contento, I.R., Balch, G.I., & Bronner, Y.L. (1995).The effectiveness of nutrition education and implica-tions for nutrition education policy, programs, andreasearch: A review of research. Journal of NutritionEducation. 27, 279-418

Contento, I.R, Randell, J.S, & Basch, C.E. (2002)Review and analysis of evaluation measures used innutrition education intervention research. Journal ofNutrition Education. 34, 2-25.

Dewey, John. (1916). Democracy and Education. NewYork. Macmillan and Co.

Fisher, J.& Johnson, S. (2001). Topics in Nutrition:Children’s Eating Patterns. Retrieved fromhttp://www.hersheys.com/nutrition-professionals/children/introduction.asp

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. Theimportance of sensory experience for learning: Jean Piaget’stheory of intellectual development. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/keys/The_Importance_of_Sensory_Experience.pdf

Lin, Bling-Hwan (2004). Nutrition and health character-istics of low-income populations. Healthy Eating Index:USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin 796-1.

Mascarenhas, M. and Gottlieb, R. (2000). Report for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Food andNutrition Services. Urban and Environmental PolicyInstitute.

McAlleese, J. & Rankin, L. (2007). Garden-based nutri-tion education increases fruit and vegetable consump-tion in sixth grade students. Journal of the AmericanDietetic Association. 107, 662.

References

One Penn Center1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Suite 900

Philadelphia, PA 19103

p: 215.575.0444 f: 215.575.0466 contact@TheFoodTrust.org

www.TheFoodTrust.org