Creative approaches to nutrition focus of conference

Teachers and food service staff members from Maine schools are invited to a day-long, no-cost workshop focused on creative approaches to nutrition education. The workshop takes place April 30 at the Augusta Civic Center.

The “Edible Education – Take Your Taste Buds for a Walk” workshop will feature strategies to help children overcome barriers to choosing new foods while reinforcing literacy instruction.

The workshop takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and is funded by a 2010 Team Nutrition Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., and a continental breakfast and lunch are provided.

Those interested in attending must register in advance by visiting: http://www.maine-nutrition.org/Reg2012/Apr30Reg2012.html. Attendees can receive reimbursement for mileage by completing paperwork at the end of the workshop.

Who Should Attend?

  • Team Nutrition Schools
  • School Health Coordinators
  • Teachers
  • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Staff

Participants will be able to:

  • Explore methods to further student literacy skills through connections with activities in “Edible Education”;
  • Conduct effective taste testing with students to expand palates;
  • Use Edible Education as part of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to encourage children to try unfamiliar fruits and vegetables; and
  • Integrate nutrition education into core subject areas.

Featured Speakers:

Amanda Archibald: Amanda’s contribution to food and nutrition is channeled through her nationally acclaimed company, Field to Plate, and its affiliate Food and Culinary Guidance. Amanda is a game changer. Her unique training as an analyst and a nutritionist (RD), combined with her food knowledge and culinary expertise, has enabled her to develop a new lens which we can use to understand the food conversation.

Genna Cherichello: Genna is an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Knox-Lincoln offices. She works on service-learning development within farm-to-school programming and will share how her work complements “Edible Education.”

The Maine Department of Education is co-sponsoring this conference with the Maine Nutrition Network, a cooperative program of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service.

Resources and more information

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