A Nutritional Program Paving the Way to a Healthier Community

A Nutritional Program Paving the Way to a Healthier Community

For many families, there may be an endless struggle at the dinner table to have children eat all of their fruits and vegetables.

However, Pre-K 4 SA is trying to change the evening argument by showing young children the importance of nutrition by having them grow fruits, vegetables and herbs in their very own garden.

For many years, Pre-K 4 SA has had gardens for its classes. However, last year, a Garden to Table program created by CHEF: Culinary, Health, Education for Families (CHEF) was introduced into Pre-K 4 SA’s curriculum. In this program, all classrooms are assigned a garden in their outdoor learning areas. Here, they plant seeds, then water, weed, and nurture their gardens until the students see the bounty of their efforts as the fruits, herbs, and vegetables sprout.

This academic year, the CHEF program was modified to meet Pre-K 4 SA’s high-quality standards and introduced to teachers. As of October, teachers are teaching basic nutrition and practical cooking skills to encourage healthy eating routines. Additionally, CHEF is collaborating with the San Antonio Food Bank in teaching the importance of nutrition to San Antonio’s youngest learners at Pre-K 4 SA.

“Health and nutrition have become an integral part of my life and sharing what I’ve learned has become my goal,” said Julie Taylor, CHEF instructional specialist. “CHEF has allowed me to bring knowledge to young children through hands-on, meaningful activities that teach basic nutrition and practical cooking skills.

CHEF’s mission is “rooted in the belief that food is medicine.” The organization’s ultimate goal is to motivate individuals and communities to adopt and sustain healthier eating habits.

In San Antonio, CHEF is known through its collaborations with the Children’s Hospital to educate and heal patients and families. CHEF actively trains and certifies healthcare providers in culinary medicine and performs clinical research to measure the efficacy of the CHEF protocol in an acute care setting. Representatives also teach nutrition in after school programs throughout the community.

Every month, a teacher from each classroom will choose a time, day and recipe for his or her class to prepare. In small groups of 10 students, the children will create a recipe by picking their ingredients from their gardens. Classroom-grown fruits, herbs and vegetables will be washed and prepared for recipes. Ingredients not on hand will be ordered from the San Antonio Food Bank.

One of the children’s favorite recipes is “confetti corn,” which has a variety of colorful vegetables such as cooked corn kernels, poblano peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. To better guide the children in understanding the recipe, they are provided a recipe with pictures to help them distinguish between the vegetables.

Once the vegetables have been washed, teachers show their students how to properly hold and use their kid-safe knives and cutting boards for the cutting process. The children begin to carefully cut, cube and dice as they prepare their ingredients for the recipe at hand.

As part of high-quality standards, throughout the 20 to 30 minutes of building a recipe, teachers encourage students to assist their families in cooking at home. Children learn more about the five food groups and the importance of balanced meals and healthy food portions.

Teachers take the time to engage with the students and discuss their experience using new utensils, different tastes and textures of each ingredient, and the combined taste of ingredients. Teachers are encouraged to use culinary terms to help students expand their knowledge of nutrition.

As part of the CHEF program, parents are encouraged to volunteer in their child’s class to assist teachers and students. The added support by parents encourages them to learn more about nutrition and see firsthand what ingredients and recipes their children enjoy.

Children begin to understand that with practice, cooking becomes more fun. Recipes are seen as guidelines for creative and delicious meals. Pre-K 4 SA is happy to fully incorporate the CHEF program to instill balanced nutrition at a young age.

The CHEF program encompasses much more than just ingredients in recipes. As part of Pre-K 4 SA and its core curricular innovations, 4-year-olds are able to refine their motor skills and develop a new vocabulary that promotes stronger health outcomes for the child’s future.

Pre-K 4 SA Provides Parent Training to Help Build a Foundation for the Future

parent training

Pre-K 4 SA continues to share the value of early childhood learning by offering parents more resources about the importance of a high-quality education.

Pre-K 4 SA is known for its work with young children. However, it isn’t only young children who benefit from its high-quality programing. Pre-K 4 SA also works with adults by providing over 10,000 hours per year of professional learning for educators who teach young children, and created a partnership designed to extend programs to parents.

Most recently, the City of San Antonio Head Start program and Pre-K 4 SA joined to offer parents a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). This program provides parents the ability to enter the early education field and excel as their child’s first teacher before he or she enters a formal kindergarten program.

A CDA credential provides the education and the necessary training to ensure an assistant teacher is well prepared to deliver high-quality instruction. High CDA program costs make this credential unattainable for many, but Pre-K 4 SA is providing access to more parents and educators within the community. Pre-K 4 SA provides the hands-on course instruction delivered by Ashley Orihel, professional learning specialist at Pre-K 4 SA.

In the first class of the CDA program offered by Pre-K 4 SA, Ashley led a group of 12 dedicated parents. The participants received 120 hours of instruction and reviewed numerous topics, from classroom safety to all of the areas of a child’s physical, emotional, and behavioral development. Additional classes covered the creation of a professional portfolio with a strong emphasis on essay writing.

In addition to curriculum instruction, parents were required to work as volunteers in a classroom setting for 480 hours throughout the five-month program. Many enjoyed the hands-on experience so much that they exceeded the minimum number of hours needed to earn the credential, despite having other jobs and family responsibilities.

Ashley dedicated her time to building relationships with each parent, addressing concerns and challenging them to gain a better understanding of the value and importance of early childhood education.

Pre-K 4 SA recognizes parents as critical educational assets because they’re their child’s first and most important teacher. Pre-K 4 SA believes every child deserves a high-quality education that begins with parents, regardless of the family’s education or economic limitations.

“[The CDA program] is one of the most powerful things I’ve experienced since being at Pre-K 4 SA,” said Orihel. “The impact this program has had on the workforce in San Antonio is just amazing.”

Parents who received the CDA credential gained professional skills to make them more marketable in the early childhood education field. Before the completion of the program, four parents were offered a full-time substitute position, and one of them began a position at Stafford Early Childhood Center.

“There were many positive outcomes from taking this high-quality CDA program,” said Demetria Keys, a parent and program participant. “I was hired as a substitute teacher at the same school I was taking the class. The doors just opened up to many things.”

The interactive and intensive CDA program offers its alumni more than curriculum and instructional opportunities; it builds leadership skills and confidence. One parent currently sits on the policy council for Head Start, another is a PTA vice president, and one is a director of children’s ministry at a local church, while others host community events at local schools.

“Originally, I was interested in the course to get more information about my kids,” said Vanessa Bermudez, a parent and program participant. “Both of my children have developmental differences, so I took this class to help me understand them better.”

Due to the success of the first cohort, the City of San Antonio Head Start and Pre-K 4 SA are planning to have two cohorts at the same time—at no cost—for the 2019-2020 academic year. One class is scheduled to be held at Edgewood ISD, and the other at San Antonio ISD. Alumni from the first cohort have volunteered to share their own impactful experience with the next group of participants.

The CDA program was designed to align with Pre-K 4 SA’s mission to change the educational and workforce trajectories in San Antonio in one generation. Pre-K 4 SA is glad to take part in contributing to early childhood education today and will continue to do so in the years to come.