P186 - The Pilot Light Summit: Development and Refinement of Consensus-Based Holistic Food Education Standards for Youth

Abstract

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Social Ecological Theory indicates that context at the micro and macro level plays an important role in our food choices. Therefore, holistic and context-focused food education can help children develop critical thinking skills that lead to healthy food choices in everyday life. Comprehensive food education programs should attend to the importance of nutrition to maintain good health and the role that food plays in our culture, relationships, history, and environment. In order to encourage the implementation of holistic food education, Pilot Light, a Chicago-based non-profit that provides K-12 teachers with food education curriculum and professional development, sought to develop clear Food Education Standards that support such holistic food education. Objective: To convene a group of experts during the Pilot Light Summit to participate in the systematic development and refinement of Food Education Standards that guide the implementation of food education programs in schools. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: The Pilot Light Food Education Summit convened 25 experts and community members across multiple disciplinary fields (including agriculture, culinary, education, nutrition, and public health) to develop and refine a consensus-based set of Food Education Standards and accompanying K-12 competencies that could be used to implement holistic food education in the classroom. Outcome Measures and Analysis: A set of Food Education Standards, which included a list of 149 competencies in food education, were analyzed and categorized using thematic analysis. Results: Thirty-one themes were derived from the original list of competencies; the most prevalent themes endorsed by Summit participants were food choice, health, food production, food access, and culture. Seven Food Education Standards were developed that encompassed all 31 themes. Conclusions and Implications: The Food Education Standards developed at the Pilot Light Summit provide clear, accessible guidance for educators interested in incorporating holistic food education in the classroom. Pilot Light will incorporate Food Education Standards into its existing programming and encourage further dissemination. Funding: Pilot Light.