Classic public school curricula in big cities used to mean reading, writing, history and arithmetic, but a supermarket and Westchester agricultural non-profit hope to expand that list to include food and farming. If you know of a teacher interested in teaching their students about environmental issues, nutrition or healthy food systems–or wants to start a garden at their school–here’s your chance to nominate them for a professional development day at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.
As part of the 2nd annual “Nominate Your Teacher!” campaign, chosen profs will spend the day among farmers and food educators while learning about sustainable food and farming. It’s all part of a partnership between Stone Barns and Whole Foods Market to pave the way for lessons about these issues for local students.
During the development day, the tables will be turned (or desks?) and teachers will be asked questions regarding the origin of the food we eat; how what we eat affects our health, communities and the environment; and how to teach children to be thoughtful food consumers. Teachers will also go on an in-depth tour of the farm at Stone Barns, get their hands dirty with seasonal farm chores, mingle with the center’s farmers, harvest and prepare a simple and seasonal farm-to-table lunch and be able to bring a wealth of resources and activities back to their classrooms.
If all of this has brought to mind the name of a teacher you’d like to nominate, download an application here and submit it to one of these participating Whole Foods Markets in New York (any NYC location, or Jericho, Lake Grove, Manhasset, White Plains and Yonkers), New Jersey (Edgewater, Madison, Middletown, Millburn-Union, Montclair, Paramus, Ridgewood and West Orange) and Connecticut (Greenwich, Darien, Fairfield, Milford and Westport).
And as often is the case this homework has a deadline, April 15th, 2012. Selected teachers will be announced by May 1st, 2012. Happy nominating!
