Connecting Preschool Classrooms with Local Agriculture through Cooking Education
Primary Topic:
FCS, Nutrition, & Food Safety
Other Topics:
Food Systems, Health & Wellbeing
Internship Overview:
Exposure to new foods at a young age, particularly healthy foods, sets children up for successful healthy eating habits in the future. However, many Boulder County preschools and childcare centers struggle to bring hands on cooking experiences to their classroom. This internship will assess the needs of childcare centers enrolled in the Boulder County Farm to Early Childcare & Education Program (Farm to ECE) and formalize a hands-on curriculum based on a pilot program done in the 2023/2024 schools year. The Farm to ECE program connects 82 childcare programs to locally grown food from 21 different Colorado farms. The Farm to ECE Pilot Program utilizes low stakes taste testing, sensory play, and hands on cooking experiences to expose children to locally grown produce as well as building their confidence in trying new foods. The combination of interactive nutrition education and a connection to local agriculture makes this program unique with great promise to continue to grow and expand in the future.
Goals, Scope and Objectives:
The summer intern will work on the following goals and objectives. (1) Formalize a hands-on curriculum based on 2023/2024 pilot program lessons, the established Farm to ECE curriculum, and feedback from community partners including preschool teachers and subject matter experts from Boulder County Public Health. (2) Meet with stakeholders involved in the 23/24 pilot program. (3) Summarize how this program fits the preschool Colorado Shine system and relevant developmental milestones and educational standards for 3 – 5 year olds. (4) Create a training module for the formalized curriculum so the program can be delivered by Extension Specialist or classroom teachers. (5) Create an evaluation tool for teachers to asses program success.
With which stakeholder group(s) will the intern work?
Boulder County Public Health, St Vrain Valley School District, Boulder Valley School District, Golden Aspen Bilingual Preschool, Casa de la Esperanza
What student learning outcomes do you anticipate and what are the opportunities for professional development?
Throughout the summer, the intern will have the opportunity to engage with and learn from subject matter experts in early childhood education and early childhood nutrition from CSU and from Boulder County. The intern will engage in meaningful co-creation with community partners including teachers and leadership at local schools that serve low-income families. Effective collaboration and co-creation are necessary skills to develop to successfully work in community health and research. The intern will also learn how to format and deliver curriculum for early childhood learners as well as for adult learners through the design of the training module. Finally, the intern will gain experience in program evaluation by working with the intern mentor and with BCPH to create an evaluation tool to better understand program impacts.
