Jefferson Farm-2-School Program

Food. Knowledge. Choices. Connections.

Jefferson GAP offers the Jefferson F2S Program to foster student ownership of healthy eating habits while developing connections to Jefferson County’s community, environment, and economy.

*Offered in partnership with Shepherd University, WVU Jefferson County Extension Service, and WV Farm to School.*

A Bold Premise

If school staff, parents, and community partners, together, take a whole school approach to connect Cafeteria, Curriculum, and Community, students will have a better understanding of where their food comes from, and make better food choices.

Program Overview

The core of Jefferson Farm -2- School is a 3 day Summer Institute. Our primary themes and offerings include Place-Based Education, Health and Nutrition, Sustainability & Food Systems, presented by experts from around the region. The Institute is offered free of charge to Teachers, Administrators, Cafeteria Staff, School Nurses, and Parents working as a team from your school. School teams will create Action Plans of how they will connect children with local foods, their health, food systems, local farmers, and the community.

*Alumni opportunities, and in-service trainings are also offered.

Learn More

This program is modeled after the award-winning Vermont Food Education Everyday program. https://vtfeed.org/what-farm-school

Download Informational PDF

Program Schedule

Tentative 2020 Summer Institute Dates - June 23-25, 2020. More info later!

Participating Schools

Blue Ridge Elementary

T.A. Lowery Elementary

Charles Town Middle

Wildwood Middle

Rationale

Across the nation, both formal and non-formal educators are finding that rooting their educational programming deeply in the local community, both physically and thematically, is an effective strategy for achieving many of their highest priority goals. Whether in schools, gardens, or local farms, as participants become actively engaged in studying and responsibly addressing relevant local issues, the results have included higher levels of student engagement, stronger community support for education and conservation, and student civic engagement.

This program directly supports the WV Feed to Achieve Act, “…county boards of education shall form or expand existing partnerships with the federal and state departments of agriculture, Department of Health and Human Resources, local master gardeners, county extension agents or other experts in the field of agriculture or gardening to develop community gardens, farm-to-school programs and other such programs that teach students how to grow and produce healthy food and provide healthy food to the students.”

“How badly needed nutritional instruction is, and how we can make great strides towards educating students if we have a coordinated effort!”

“I gained the knowledge that implementing activities would not be hard because of the resources available.”

“I liked the diversity of the group, being part of it, the resources and personal connections… The farm tours!”

“Loved the farm tours, and the meals provided with local foods – you practice what you teach!!”

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