Community Food Education supports the health and wellbeing of communities experiencing poverty. We educate kids and adults about growing, buying, cooking, and eating nutritious foods. To further support this, we help make local, institutional changes that support the health of communities we work with, and center food as a tool to build community and work towards social justice.
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COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION
Cooking Matters provides six-week class series on healthy cooking skills, nutrition education and food budgeting for people living on low incomes.
Held at over 65 host sites in the greater Seattle and Washington state areas, each class is led by a team of three trained volunteers – Cooking Facilitator, Nutrition Facilitator, and Class Assistant – who work alongside a staff coordinator to facilitate fun, lively, interactive and informative classes. Participants engage in educational activities and help prepare a shared meal.
Cooking Matters is a partnership of Solid Ground, the national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength, and the No Kid Hungry Campaign.
Bring Cooking Matters to Your Organization!
Bring Cooking Matters classes to your community-based or nonprofit organization in Seattle, King County and beyond.
Apply NowCurrent Cooking Matters Satellite Partners: Click below to access all the resources and information you need to host a successful Cooking Matters program. (This page is password protected; if you are a satellite partner and need the password, contact cooking@solid-ground.org.)
Satellite Partner ResourcesCurrent Volunteers: Click below for information on upcoming opportunities for trained Cooking Matters volunteers. (This page is password protected; if you are a current volunteer and need the password, contact cooking@solid-ground.org.)
For Current VolunteersFARM-BASED EDUCATION
Our Giving Garden at Marra Farm in South Park is an educational laboratory where pre-K through middle school students learn firsthand about nutrition and sustainable food systems.
School and community groups come to our Giving Garden for short- and longer-term experiential learning programs that give students hands-in-the-dirt opportunities to learn about growing healthy food.
We also host student farm tours and field trips that engage the senses through exploration and hands-on activities! Groups can visit once or come multiple times during the growing season. (Cost: $5/student, scholarships available)
Farm Tour & Field Trip Opportunities
Garden Exploration (1.5 hours)
Students tour one of our farms and learn about the history of the neighborhood, organic gardening, bees, worms and soils, chickens, the environment, and eating healthy foods. Students taste, touch and smell herbs, vegetables and flowers.
Service Learning (2-4 hours)
Students learn about organic agriculture, food justice and urban farming through hands-on work. Food grown in our Giving Gardens go to local food banks, meal programs and neighbors.
SCHOOL-BASED EDUCATION
Solid Ground fights the root causes of obesity, malnutrition and hunger in underserved communities. Our team of National Service members collaborates with schools, community groups and local organizations to educate and connect families to health-promoting resources and improve policies affecting child health.
We collaborate with schools and community agencies to design activities, events and curricula to meet each group’s youth and community needs. Children learn how to prepare and eat new fruits and vegetables, dairy and whole grains – and how to safely walk and bike to school.
After-school programs focus on nutrition, fitness and cooking. We also partner with schools and community members to design events, activities and panels for families, promoting nutrition at home and in our neighborhoods.
Our Nutrition Education AmeriCorps Members bring many levels of the community together for conversations and activities related to food security, nutrition and fitness. We:
- Develop school wellness policies.
- Provide structured recess activities.
- Lead school gardening initiatives.
- Host family nights.
- Evaluate our work’s impact in the communities we serve.
- Promote healthy habits.
- Encourage more students to walk to school.
Through this work, children directly see, touch and taste nutritious foods. Children bring healthy ideas home, so families learn together. Schools and community agencies implement healthy, long-lasting practices and policies. And community organizations receive staff support for health initiatives.
