Our story
Founded by chefs, fueled by teachers.
Milestones
- 2010Founding chefs launch Food Education at one Chicago school
- 2014Pilot Light becomes a nonprofit
- 2018Food Education Standards published
- 2020National expansion
2010
The Spark
Renowned chefs Paul Kahan, Matthias Merges, Jason Hammel, and Justin Large come together in response to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Chefs Move! to Schools” USDA initiative. Grounded in a shared belief in food’s power to transform the classroom, they partner with teachers, administrators, and caregivers at Disney II Magnet School in Chicago, IL to bring quarterly Food Education lessons to elementary-aged children, laying the foundation for Pilot Light’s innovative learning model.
2010 – 2016
The Educator Difference
Pilot Light establishes official nonprofit status and deepens our initial commitment to investing in educators through monetary time & materials stipends, professional development, and chef partnerships for their classrooms. The strength of our educator partnerships allows Pilot Light to expand to six schools across Chicago with a focus on the South and West sides of the city, and to launch the Pilot Light Institute, which provides Chicago educators with Food Education resources throughout the school year.
WHY TEACHERS?
As embedded members of their communities and informed experts in child development, educators unlock students’ potential to learn about food while learning core subjects through food with Pilot Light’s resources.
2017 – 2018
The Food Education Standards
Pilot Light convenes a multidisciplinary team of experts at The University of Chicago to write and publish the nation’s first Food Education Standards, establishing a framework for integrating comprehensive Food Education into teaching practices across grade levels and subject areas.
2019
The Digital Expansion
Pilot Light launches new initiatives: the Food Education Fellowship and the online Food Education Center, creating new pathways to support educators and expand access to free, high-quality resources.
2020 – 2024
The Pandemic Pivot
As classrooms shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pilot Light rapidly expands its digital resources and professional development model, making Food Education accessible to educators nationwide. The launch of “Family Meal,” chef-created online videos, and “Food Thoughts with Puprika,” a partnership with WTTW, promotes multimodal learning experiences for students in a virtual education environment.
With support from the Urban School Food Alliance, the Food Education Fellowship expands nationally to reach educators outside of Chicago for the first time. The introduction of new programs SnackTime Explorers, Classroom to Cafeteria, Feeding Futures, and the Fellowship Alumni Network further expands Pilot Light’s long-term impact on teachers and students across the country.
2025 – Beyond
The Next Chapter
Pilot Light updates and republishes both the Food Education Standards and the online Food Education Center in 2025 & 2026, expanding our resources to reflect the emerging needs of classrooms in the post-pandemic landscape. In addition, our Five-Year Strategic Plan outlines the next steps in the growing Food Education movement, including the launch of our first formal chapter in New York City in 2027, state-level adoption of the Food Education Standards, and further expansion of our digital platforms and multimodal learning resources for educators.
Every student deserves Food Education.
We’re just getting started.