Our responsibilities do not end with students or within the confines of the school day or the four walls of a classroom; therefore, our goal is to extend out to our community and parents whenever possible. We believe strongly in a mission to serve families and community and to keep them in this discussion. Our holistic approach to education must include anyone who is involved in the life of a child.
It Starts At Home
A weekly Farm Stand allows parents access to food, most often food to which children have already connected during the school day.
A true holistic approach to Food Education and Health involves not only the participation of teachers and students, but the involvement of members of the students’ families. Their involvement creates a seamless continuity between the school and the home environment.
Involve Families
Getting families engaged in Food Literacy can be a community builder while it also educates family members to reinforce what students are learning and experiencing in school. By creating family workshops, cooking classes, nutrition education programs, community garden workdays, and various other food education opportunities, we build stronger communities who are also empowered with the knowledge to create healthier home environments.
Family Workshops
Teaching does not stop after the final bell of the day rings. EcoSpaces Education believes strongly in its mission to serve its families and the community. Each year, we produce and offer a series of free community workshops designed to raise awareness of, educate and share information about healthy eating practices.
Workshops topics include: Weeknight Meals, Food: Mood, Behavior and Learning, Plant Based Diets, and Nutrition 101; to name a few. Formatted as interactive cooking demonstrations and discussions, these workshops highlight the healthy habits students learn through their participation in the EcoSpaces Program.
Cooking Class for Parents
In conjunction with our parent nutrition workshops, we offer cooking classes to community members. These evening events reinforce principles covered in our nutrition workshops including making healthy snacks, soups and seasonal vegetable dishes.
Farm Stand
A student run Farm Stand can provide fresh fruits and vegetables to parents, faculty, and students. As Farmer’s markets often do, the Farm Stand brings community together—from shared discussions over food preparation, to questions about cooking techniques, to stories about the connection of food to dining room tastings. The Farm Stand encourages an important dialogue around the food we choose to nourish our bodies and our community.