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CELEBRATE THE NEW (FISCAL) YEAR WITH FOOD PROGRAM TRAINING
October 31, 2023By Katie Chatfield, MPH, RDN, LD, CCNP, Nutrition Manager
Food Program Training season is HERE! Starting October 2023, Providers Choice will hold annual Food Program Training workshops in the fall. Trainings will continue to provide 2 hours of Develop approved continuing education and fulfill the annual CACFP and Civil Rights training requirements. If you already attended training this spring, Healthy Habits Count, that training met requirements for fiscal year 2023 and a new CACFP training year started on October 1 for fiscal year 2024.
STEM might sound complicated, but most providers are incorporating STEM into their daily routines without even realizing it! Activities like puzzles, blocks, exploring nature and even making a recipe are everyday examples of STEM learning. STEM and cooking, naturally go hand in hand, and you can use STEM activities to align with Food Program meal patterns.
Here are some STEM activities you can do with kids in the kitchen:
Set up "observation stations" for children to explore a new food. Let them observe, touch, discuss and taste.
Save your kitchen scraps and do a re-growth experiment. What happens when you set the tops of carrots, beets and celery in water?
Asking open-ended questions like, "I wonder what makes bread rise?" or "I wonder why water boils when it gets hot?" You don’t have to know the answer! Let kids develop their own theories.
Make a recipe together. Recipes are great ways to introduce math concepts like measurements and fractions, and kids can see how food changes during cooking. Check out the Providers Choice recipe page for #CACFPCreditable recipe ideas!
To register for a training session, click here.