Food Education is a vital part of students' development.

Tomorrow is Mexican Independence Day! Try celebrating by making fresh pico de gallo like the students in Ms. Berezka`s 3rd grade class did last year. Every student in the class had the opportunity to learn how to use a chef`s knife while prepping tomatoes, onions, and fresh herbs. The whole hallway smelled delicious and fresh when they were done chopping this favorite dish, which translates to "rooster`s beak" due to the spice and lime that makes your lips pucker.

What favorite dishes are you preparing for Mexican Independence Day?

@tiny_opal @waterswildcats

#pilotlightchefs #picodegallo #mexicanindependenceday #foodeducation #foodprep #elementaryschool #elementaryschoolteachersrock ...

🌟Today`s Fellow Friday spotlight is on: Dr. Stephanie Westhafer!

🏫Dr. Stephanie Westhafer has been teaching elementary education for 13 years. She first became interested in the Pilot Light Fellowship through her work bringing food and agriculture into her first-grade classroom, where lessons often begin in the school’s learning garden.

Over the past two years, she has focused on agricultural literacy, helping students explore where food comes from, how it grows, and why it matters. She is looking forward to collaborating with Fellows to create engaging, food-centered lessons that connect families, communities, and classroom. She is also the Little Sprouts Garden Club sponsor at her STEAM-certified school. Her students have grown vegetables for the community, baked pizza from their own harvest, and connected science, literacy, and history through food.

A passionate advocate for integrated learning, she also serves as the Georgia Science Teachers Association Elementary Representative and has received state and national awards for interdisciplinary and innovative science teaching.

💚What I`m Excited for as a New Fellow:
"I am most excited for the Food Education Fellowship because it will allow me to collaborate with like-minded educators and bring fresh, creative ideas into my classroom. I look forward to developing engaging, hands-on lessons that connect my students to the origins, culture, and health benefits of the foods they eat. This fellowship will also give me new tools to inspire lifelong curiosity and healthy food choices in both my students and their families."

Thanks for being a part of this year`s Fellowship, Dr. Westhafer! 👏

#teachershoutout #fellowfriday #pilotlightchefs #foodeducation #teacherspotlight #elementaryschoolteacher #elementaryteachersrock #firstgradeteacher ...