Food Education
in Action Week
Presented by Pilot Light
October 5-9, 2026
Food Education in Action Week is a weeklong celebration of Food Education lessons and activities. Curated by Pilot Light and grounded in their Food Education Standards, Food Education in Action Week is an opportunity for educators and families to offer students of all ages an opportunity to engage with food through an academic lens and build connections in their local food communities. This year, we’re offering a comprehensive, expertly-designed toolkit for educators to implement Food Education lessons in a variety of academic settings throughout the week.
How to Participate
Register for a free Food Education Center account to download the following Pilot Light & partner organization resources as well as 130+ more Food Ed. lesson plans! Then, use this form to submit your Food Education in Action Week story to Pilot Light—your school will be featured on their social media and website!
Food Ed in Action Week Teaching Toolkit:
Monday October 5
LITERACY:
You Are What You Read
- Partner Organization: Readers to Eaters
- Partner Resources: Food Heroes Series | Kimchi Taco Time POSTCARD
- Pilot Light Resource: Tasty Words: Exploring Descriptive Language Through Food
Tuesday October 6
HEALTH:
Nourishing The Body & The Mind
- Partner Organization: Wellness in the Schools
- Partner Resource: WITS Resources | Applesauce Recipe
- Pilot Light Resource: Heart Healthy Eating
Wednesday October 7
MATH:
It All Adds Up
- Partner Organization: Beyond Hunger
- Partner Resource: Beyond Hunger SNAP Math Shopping Activity
- Pilot Light Resource: Where Rice Grows
Thursday October 8
SCIENCE:
Fighting Food Waste
- Partner Organization: Food Waste Warriors by the World Wildlife Fund
- Partner Resource: FWW Food Audit Guide | Be A Food Waste Warrior
- Pilot Light Resource: Why We Need Seaweed
Friday October 9
FOOD EDUCATION PALOOZA
Choose your own adventure using the previous 4 days’ worth of resources from our fantastic partners!
- Partner Organization: all!
- Partner Resource: pick from the previous 4 days!
- Pilot Light Resource: Explore the Food Education Center for 200+ resources and lesson plans for your classroom!
Got questions about the resources?
Not sure where to start? Register for our kickoff webinar on Monday, September 28th at 5:00 PM CT to dive deeper into this year’s resources!
Share Your Story
Tell your story and submit your Food Ed. in Action Week story to be featured on Pilot Light’s social media and website!
Celebrate Year-Round
Food Education doesn’t have to be a special occasion—with Pilot Light’s resources, you can teach through food and about food simultaneously, enhancing your students’ experiences and engagement. Create a FREE Food Education Center account to access the Food Education in Action Week resources PLUS over 200 additional resources for all grade levels PreK-12 and subject areas. Get started today!
Support Our Mission
Pilot Light is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving educators, students, and communities through hands-on Food Education resources. You can help keep our resources free by making a donation to our mission today. Your gift helps the next generation build important food literacy skills. Thank you for your support!
“Our cooking classes strengthen not only knowledge but also community bonds. The act of cooking becomes a tool for connection, health, and hope. At the end of each session, participants express their excitement to keep learning and share what they’ve learned with their families and neighbors. The success of this program lies in its simplicity and closeness: teaching people to eat better by starting from what they already know, while honoring each family’s food culture.”
Violeta Sandoval, San Francisco, CA
“This past Friday, my students engaged in a food experience that allowed them to cook chili and flour tortillas in our classroom using family lessons from Pilot Light’s Food Education Center. We were able to find several connections to discuss starting with Hispanic Heritage Month, seasonal change, and our ELA curriculum. Students worked collaboratively in stations using kitchen tools obtained via DonorsChoose.”
Ashley Ely, Marietta, GA
“Baltimore City Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services department manages a Farm to School program focused on food education, based at our very own Great Kids Farm, a 33-acre campus with fields, forest, a barn, stream, and classrooms. Educators lead daily field trips on the farm, Farm to Classroom programs in schools, professional development opportunities for school staff interested in gardening, and much more. All free and curriculum-aligned, Farm to School programs are designed to connect students to their food system and promote healthy eating in school cafeterias and beyond.”
Anne Rosenthal, Baltimore, MD
“This is better than recess! We collaborated with Comfort Food Community and Alleged Farm in nearby towns. We gleaned 378 pounds of potatoes in under an hour. This work will benefit area food pantries. We need to sample fresh spuds ourselves, too…so we brought back some to cook in our crockpot at school!”
Jennifer Bailey, Argyle, NY
“Our cooking classes strengthen not only knowledge but also community bonds. The act of cooking becomes a tool for connection, health, and hope. At the end of each session, participants express their excitement to keep learning and share what they’ve learned with their families and neighbors. The success of this program lies in its simplicity and closeness: teaching people to eat better by starting from what they already know, while honoring each family’s food culture.”
Violeta Sandoval, San Francisco, CA
“This past Friday, my students engaged in a food experience that allowed them to cook chili and flour tortillas in our classroom using family lessons from Pilot Light’s Food Education Center. We were able to find several connections to discuss starting with Hispanic Heritage Month, seasonal change, and our ELA curriculum. Students worked collaboratively in stations using kitchen tools obtained via DonorsChoose.”
Ashley Ely, Marietta, GA
“Baltimore City Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services department manages a Farm to School program focused on food education, based at our very own Great Kids Farm, a 33-acre campus with fields, forest, a barn, stream, and classrooms. Educators lead daily field trips on the farm, Farm to Classroom programs in schools, professional development opportunities for school staff interested in gardening, and much more. All free and curriculum-aligned, Farm to School programs are designed to connect students to their food system and promote healthy eating in school cafeterias and beyond.”
Anne Rosenthal, Baltimore, MD
“This is better than recess! We collaborated with Comfort Food Community and Alleged Farm in nearby towns. We gleaned 378 pounds of potatoes in under an hour. This work will benefit area food pantries. We need to sample fresh spuds ourselves, too…so we brought back some to cook in our crockpot at school!”
Jennifer Bailey, Argyle, NY
