Food education helps students, families, and communities learn healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Eating healthy foods helps students stay healthy, do better in school, pay attention in class, come to school more often, and lower their risk of getting sick.
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) is working to bring more food education to NYC Public Schools. The Food Education Team supports the Mayor's and Chancellor's goals to:
- Help students learn about healthy food and make healthy choices.
- Give students better access to healthy food at school.
- Support families, teachers, and school food staff in helping students build healthy habits for life.
Who We Are
The Food Education Team is part of the Office of Food and Nutrition Services. We help make food education an important part of every student's school day. We work with schools, teachers, school food staff, and community partners to connect learning in the classroom with healthy school meals and hands-on activities. Together, we help students and families build healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
How We Support Schools
The Food Education Team gives schools the tools, funding, and training they need to bring food education into the classroom and cafeteria. Our programs include:
- Nutrition Collaborative Program – Helps students, teachers, and school food staff work together to learn about healthy eating through fun, hands-on activities.
- Food & Nutrition Education Professional Learning Catalog – Offers training to help teachers learn new ways to teach food and nutrition.
- Food & Nutrition Education Standards – Gives schools a guide for teaching food and nutrition across different grade levels and subjects.
- Food & Nutrition Education Partners – Connects schools with trusted community organizations that provide fun, hands-on food education programs.
For School Leaders & Teachers
- Professional Learning Catalog (In progress)
The Food Education Professional Learning Catalog offers a variety of high-quality workshops designed to help educators integrate food and nutrition education into classroom instruction. These professional learning opportunities build educator knowledge and confidence while supporting student health, wellness, and academic success.
- Food & Nutrition Education Partners
The Food & Nutrition Education Partners are a network of trusted community organizations that provide high-quality food and nutrition education programs to NYC Public Schools. Through hands-on learning experiences, these partners help students build healthy eating habits while exploring topics such as cooking, gardening, agriculture, sustainability, and food justice.
- Food Education Case Studies
The OFNS Food Education Case Studies showcase how schools are using food education to inspire healthy habits, engage students through hands-on learning, and strengthen connections between the classroom, cafeteria, and home.
- Nutrition Collaborative
The Nutrition Collaborative is a school-based initiative that brings together students, school food staff, and educators to promote healthy eating through hands-on nutrition education and student engagement. The program empowers students to explore healthy food choices, provide feedback on school meals, and help foster a positive culture of wellness in their school community.
- Food & Nutrition Education Standards
The Food & Nutrition Education Standards provide a framework for integrating food and nutrition education into classroom learning across grade levels. They support students in developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to make informed, healthy, and sustainable food choices.
Family Resources
Resources & Reports
Food Education Contact
For more information on how your school community can expand food
education learning opportunities, please contact FoodEducation@schools.nyc.gov.