Schools

Schools are using the Charlie Cart program for food and cooking education in the classroom, for after-school programming, to augment meals in the lunchroom, alongside school garden programs, and more.

Why Cook at School?

At the Charlie Cart Project, we are passionate about empowering the next generation through food education. Our program was built with schools in mind. Our cart can easily navigate school hallways, and is self-contained to make cooking in the classroom, lunchroom or school garden easy and fuss-free. Our 54-lesson curriculum is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core, and was developed to engage a wide range of students and contexts.

HOW SCHOOLS USE CHARLIE CART

Classroom Workshops

Educators engage students with interactive workshops that cover the fundamentals of nutrition, cooking and food choices, while exploring science, math, language arts, the environment, and history. Our lessons make learning about food fun through learning new skills and trying new flavors.
HOW SCHOOLS USE CHARLIE CART

Taste Testing

Educators enhance the school day with mobile food tastings in lunchrooms, assemblies, or before or after school. They introduce students to diverse flavors, textures, and cultures, encouraging them to broaden their palates and make mindful food choices.
HOW SCHOOLS USE CHARLIE CART

Family Programming

The Charlie Cart is perfect for family and community engagement, whether through family cooking nights, holiday or cultural celebrations, or as a part of larger assemblies, Charlie Cart educators are introducing families and community members to cooking and healthy eating using their cart and adapting the Charlie Cart curriculum.
HOW SCHOOLS USE CHARLIE CART

School Garden Engagement

The Charlie Cart is the perfect partner for any school garden program. Many of our educators use the Charlie Cart right in the garden to prepare and taste garden-grown produce on site. The connection between growing and eating is made for students in real time and they are always excited to cook and eat the things they’ve grown.

Our educators appreciate the lesson plans and ease of using the Charlie Cart.

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I love how organized the contents of the cart are. They thought of everything when loading it up. And the binder of lesson plans is so wonderful, I cannot wait to try them all.”

Kat Clark, Foods teacher and Garden Coordinator in Downey, CA

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“Teachers use the Charlie Cart as a tool to engage with academics. It reinforces reading, directions, measurement, math, history, and healthy eating. It’s a combination of skills and hands-on learning they don’t get anywhere else.”

Michelle DeCoy, Garden Teacher at Pittsburg Unified School District in Pittsburg, California

“

Charlie Cart lesson plans provide excellent ideas for teaching nutrition. Our students love cutting vegetables and preparing their meal as a part of a class.”

Ann Dickson, Program Specialist at Learn and Grow After School Program in Gillette, Wyoming

Get Started

Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or a school district looking to build out a food education program, there are various ways to get involved. Let’s discover together how we can collaborate in shaping a future where every student is empowered through food education and experiential learning. Click the links below to get started or learn more.