With our strategy for improving childhood nutrition, Family Connection offers the Charlie Cart Program to teachers to teach the importance of making healthy food choices while learning food preparation skills. The Charlie Cart is a mobile kitchen with chef quality equipment that can be moved into the classroom to allow students a hands-on learning experience. Recipes that include locally grown foods are incorporated into the lesson plan.
The STEAM and Ag classes at Swainsboro Elementary and Primary school are frequent partners with our program. Other teachers can request a visit from the Charlie Cart for lessons in math, science, or other topics. This fun program can enhance classroom learning when a teacher sees its creative use.
Already this school year we have been in Ms. Dawn Davis's room helping the 3rd and 5th grade gifted classes with rock formation and cell identification lessons using a variety of food items. We have also been in Mr. Rhett Harper's AG classes teaching when fruits that are in season and baking "apple cobbler cookies. Students learning how to cook is a lifelong skill and of course, they enjoy eating the finished product.
