The Charlie Cart Project

Our Impact

Over the last decade, The Charlie Cart Project has reached over 500,000 children and families through our 500 community partners across the country.

By The Numbers

500,000

Children and Families Reached Annually

1,400+

Educators Trained

500+

Community Partners Across 47 States

Beyond the Numbers

The Charlie Cart Project opens minds, builds confidence, and changes attitudes toward healthy food.
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People are blown away that I’ll get these kids to eat beets. [At first] the kids really freak out because beets are so ugly on the outside, but then I show them when you cut it, it’s just beautiful on the inside. Then, they try something with beets, like a rainbow smoothie, and they’re like, “oh, that’s bussin and bussin!”
If it’s one “bussin,” it’s good, if it’s two, it’s really good.
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One of my favorite stories is a young teen who hated guacamole, so I worked with her. We talked about what was in it. I had her make it “hands on.” By the end she was a huge fan, and she ran out with what she made to her mom shouting.
“You’ve got to taste this, we gotta make this at home.”
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I notice that the more consistently I get to a school, cooking becomes familiar, and the kids feel more confident to try new things. This extends way beyond the kitchen.
Gaining confidence in the kitchen teaches them they can do new and hard things out in the rest of the world.

Stories From the Field

Beyond Books: Food literacy programs teach more than cooking at your local library

Culinary literacy is gaining momentum in libraries across the country! Read more about how food programs at libraries in Brooklyn, NY; Cleveland, Ohio and Charleston, SC are serving their communities in this new report from the Charlie Cart Project. By Sarah Henry

Have Cart Will Travel: Portable Kitchens Bring Edible Education into Classrooms

Carolyn Federman has become an expert in getting picky children to eat foods they don’t like. “Studies show that kids need to be introduced to a new food somewhere around 17 times,” she said. “As a parent, you have to be patient and keep serving that food.”

Mobile Teaching Kitchen Project Grows from Coast to Coast

With home economics fading into memory, an educator in California is working to get kids cooking. The Charlie Cart Project is a hands-on cooking program that teaches food literacy and cooking in schools.

Food Literacy Programs Teach More than Just Cooking and Nutrition

Food—growing, preparing, sharing, and eating it—can create a sense of community, promote cultural understanding, and teach literacy

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