Since 2010, we have supported Pre-K-12 students with Food Education that is part of teachers’ classrooms and fosters informed food choices.
See the Impact
We believe that Food Education is a vital component of building a better food systems future and deepening our connection to ourselves, our communities, and our world.
You can join us in investing in the future of the food system by subscribing to our bimonthly eNewsletter today for the latest classroom stories, event updates, and more!
Your gift in any amount supports Food Education in classrooms and communities throughout the year.
If your company matches gifts to nonprofits like Pilot Light, here are easy instructions on how to double the impact of your gift. We also have instructions on how to make a gift of stock.
We welcome you to sign up for our newsletter, contact us, and check out our blog!
We are looking for individuals who are passionate about Food Education and creating impact through our programs to join our team!
🌟Staff Spotlight on: Alex DeSorbo-Quinn, Executive Director!🌟
📈 As Executive Director, Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn is responsible for leading the development of Pilot Light’s vision and strategic goals. She was hired to the organization in 2014 by its founders as its first staff member.
🥗 Since then, she has proudly worked in partnership with many educators, chefs, and community members to grow the reach of our Food Education programs from one school to 79, impacting over 20,000 students nationwide.
🗽Alex began her career at Harlem Hospital in New York City, managing its Stroke Center. After seeing that education was key to preventing strokes and saving lives, she accordingly became engaged in public health education programs that harnessed hip hop music to engage students and their families around stroke education.
📑 Alex went on to join the research faculty of the Neurological Institute at Columbia University, where she managed two federally-funded community-based studies looking at the impacts of arts-based public health education in New York City Public Schools and faith-based institutions. Alex currently serves on the Advisory Board of Hip Hop Public Health. She is a past Trustee of the Society for Public Health Education.
💚 A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Alex earned her Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a doctorate in health education from Teachers College of Columbia University. She was a 2018 fellow of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy.
👏 Thank you for all of your incredible leadership and collaboration, Alex!
#staffspotlight #pilotlightchefs #foodeducation #educationnonprofits #teachingwithfood #foodeducatesus
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🍲 Food has the power to bring classrooms together and create meaningful educational experiences for teachers, students, and communities.
🍽️ This holiday season, we're celebrating the stories of the Pilot Light teachers who make a difference in classrooms every day with Food Education.
💚 Today's story comes from 2022-23 Food Education Fellow Melissa T.'s AP Geography class in Wilmington, DE:
"Food is a common element that can unite us all. I have personally witnessed it in my classroom…Many of my students have roots in West Africa, India, Mexico etc. Despite our ethnic/racial/socioeconomic differences, we have bonded during our food labs this year…One of my favorite memories is when one of my students led a food lab. She taught the students how to prepare Dan Wake, Bofrot, Leblebi, and Saladi Ya Matunda…Exploring the cuisine of Nigeria compelled students to realize that Africa is a vibrant and diverse continent with incredible cuisine.”
📝 Thank you for sharing your classroom stories with us! What lessons has food taught you recently?
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#pilotlightchefs #classroomstories #teachingmethods #foodeducation #foodconnectsus #foodteachesus #teachingresources
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