FoodPrints for Washington, DC’s Youngest Learners: Food Education in Ward 7 and 8 Early Childhood Education Centers

Building off our successful FoodPrints school partnership model and past community engagement work, FRESHFARM pivoted our work this year with Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers to focus on deep engagement and education at three centers. Our current partners are: Educare IDEA and Educare Parkside in Ward 7, and House of Ruth in Ward 8. At each site, our veteran community educator, Tailor Coble, works hand-in-hand with educators, families, and students to build a vibrant food culture—one that sparks curiosity, strengthens community, and builds lifelong habits rooted in nutritious, joyful eating.

Through these partnerships:

• Infants and toddlers engage in hands-on garden and cooking lessons.
• Educators join food education-focused professional development sessions and recipe tastings.
• Families participate in cooking events and share meals.

Across the board, we’re seeing a growing excitement: staff are energized by new foods and experiences; toddlers are digging in garden beds planted and maintained by FoodPrints staff; and parents are enthusiastically sampling nutritious recipes and accessing more fresh produce.

Nourishing Educators With Professional Development & New Foods

This spring, staff at Educare IDEA and Educare Parkside gathered for FoodPrints-led professional development sessions that previewed spring lessons and centered on food exploration. Teachers explored seeds and soil, tasted Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits, and brainstormed ways to connect the FoodPrints Curriculum to their own classrooms and family events.

There were moments of discovery during these sessions: teachers gasped when they learned that snap pea seeds are just dried peas, and were surprised at how tiny carrot seeds are. There were also moments of inspiration as staff came up with the idea to host a family planting session in the center’s garden.

Beyond the classroom, staff are also bringing new food experiences home and sharing their food stories:

• Ms. Monet, who had long avoided leafy greens, tasted Kale Quesadillas during a FoodPrints recipe tasting and was surprised by how much she enjoyed them. She shared, “I made kale quesadillas [at home], then salmon quesadillas, and then just kale by itself—can you believe it?!”
• One teacher introduced her daughter to spaghetti squash for the first time after trying it during a FoodPrints recipe tasting. Her daughter pointed to it and said, “I want that mommy!” The teacher commented, “We’re both obsessed!”
• Another staff member, who was advised to eat more beets to lower her blood pressure, was thrilled to find a delicious new favorite in our Apple, Beet, and Carrot (ABC) Salad.

Staff engagement is as important as our sessions with students; the adults in young children’s lives are a tremendous influence on what they eat. Dr. Funchess, a staff member at Educare, shares:

“Building teacher capacity in their ability to enhance children’s food and nutrition experiences is essential for child development. Ms. Tailor has been integral in building teacher capacity by facilitating teacher workshops. Ms. Tailor demonstrates and models interactive food experiences for teachers to take back to their classrooms for implementation.”

By engaging staff, we are not only boosting their own healthy habits but also supporting them as role models for their students.

Exploring With All Five Senses: Food Education Classes With Infants & Toddlers

FoodPrints lessons in early childhood education settings are developmentally appropriate and sensory-rich. They invite young learners to explore the natural world with all of their senses by adapting the Pre-K lessons in our FoodPrints Curriculum and focusing on key seasonal produce items.

During our unit focused on seeds and soil, children scooped, sifted, and smelled garden soil and planted seeds in peat pellets. They read the book, If You Plant a Seed, and explored herbs like lemon balm, mint, and basil. One child dove into the garden sensory bin with glee, shouting, “Garden!”

In addition to gardening, students are consistently exploring and tasting seasonal fruits, vegetables, and recipes:

• During a fall session, students used a food mill to make homemade applesauce.
• In a winter session, they explored a variety of squash with all five senses: touching, smelling, and examining it. Then they mashed roasted squash using a masher and sprinkled cinnamon on it.
• This spring, students made homemade butter and sliced fresh cucumbers to put on a slice of fresh whole-grain bread. Shaking cream into butter, then spreading the butter on bread, and slicing cucumbers engaged our students’ fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

These sensory-rich, hands-on experiences foster curiosity, independence, and confidence around nutritious foods in young learners.

Cooking as a Community: Welcoming Early Childhood Education Families Into FoodPrints

Community education and engagement are central to our ECE program. It is designed to meet families where they are, with both quick tasting events and more in-depth cooking and gardening experiences.

At a recent Fruit and Yogurt Parfait tasting event, one parent sampled the recipe, paused, and then said, “These apples are so fresh… I think I’m going to have to start shopping at the farmers market if the apples are this good.” During a family Homemade Pizza Night cooking class, one parent making pesto sauce said, “I’ve never had homemade pesto! Show me how to do it and I’ll happily make my own!”

These joyful encounters help bring positive exposure to fresh, local foods into the home. This is especially impactful in areas of Washington, DC, that lack access to those foods. In this way, FRESHFARM is supporting families with access to delicious, fresh produce as well as skills and knowledge to prepare and enjoy these foods.

Food Education in Early Childhood Education Is Vital

We know that our current food system is unequal and often unreliable, especially for communities of color. That’s why this work in early childhood education is so vital. By embedding food education and community engagement in Ward 7 and 8 ECE centers, we’re reaching the people who shape the lives of our youngest children: educators and families.

In collaboration with early childhood education staff, families, and students, we’re laying the foundation for a future where every child grows up with access to the knowledge, skills, and empowerment to cook and eat fresh, local, and nourishing food.