Moving Food Education beyond nutrition with standards-aligned resources and educator professional development.
Food Education for all.
Everyone eats. Everyone is a part of our food system. Everyone has a role to play in building a better food future. So why doesn’t everyone receive Food Education? Pilot Light believes that every student deserves to learn about food: where it comes from, how to prepare it, what it does to your body, and how to take action to build a better food system.
Food is personal, cultural, and nourishing for both the mind and the body. Young people deserve to learn about all aspects of food so that they can become leaders of a better future for us all.
Our Theory of Change
Our vision
To create a world of knowledgeable and engaged changemakers for a better food system future for us all.
Who we serve
We serve students, educators, policy makers, community partners, organizations, and caregivers.
The Food Education Standards
A framework for food systems education across seven key areas: Connection, Origins, Environment, Influences, Health, Decision-Making, and Advocacy.
The challenge
Students lack access to comprehensive Food Education that helps them understand food, health, culture, and food systems.
What we do
We equip educators with:
The Food Education Standards (FES)
FES professional development and integration
Standards-aligned curricular resources
Online resources
Immediate outcomes
Educators gain the skills to integrate Food Education into everyday learning.
Intermediate outcomes
Students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to practice a food-literate life, guided by the Food Education Standards.
Long-term outcomes
Students develop a lifelong, informed relationship with food and become engaged community members and advocates for a better food system future.
Impact
The next generation leads a stronger, healthier food system for us all.
Our food system needs leaders.
We’re here to shape them, one lesson at a time.
Our Model
Pilot Light gives educators the tools they need to integrate Food Education into everyday classroom instruction in core subjects like math, reading, science, and more.
Our teacher professional development programs prepare educators to guide their students at every grade level through our signature, nationally-recognized Food Education Standards.
The Food Education Standards encompass the benchmarks of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to the development of an informed relationship with food.
“I am proud to champion Pilot Light’s groundbreaking work in food education, sparking a movement that empowers our future leaders to shape a more equitable, sustainable, and accessible food system. Their mission to create a world of knowledgeable, engaged changemakers is more critical now than ever.”
Alex DiNovo – President, DNO Produce, Immediate Past Chair – Foundation for Fresh Produce, Member – USDA Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee
“Pilot Light’s approach ensures that students see food not only as fuel but as a force for social change, environmental sustainability, and cultural connection. This is the kind of education that equips future generations to lead healthier, more conscious, and more compassionate lives.”
Amy Warne, MBA, RD/LD, Manager of Nutrition and Health Programs, Partnership for a Healthier America
“By incorporating real-world community experiences, educators are provided with practical steps to help students achieve these standards. This hands-on approach ensures that kids are actively involved in exploring and applying the Food Education Standards across various academic subjects.”
Andrea Rowe, STEAM Teacher, Austin Road Elementary, Georgia
“Pilot Light’s updated Food Education Standards will go a long way in supporting children’s connection to food in a way that uplifts their identity, fosters new experiences, and encourages curiosity.”
Renee Marcoux, SOFSA
“It’s not just that students are learning about food or a culture through food, it is that they are learning about the world through food. Pilot Light’s Food Education Standards invite educational experiences that prompt reflection, spark curiosity, and develop personal connection.”
Rachel Waugh, Founder & Executive Director of the Museum of Food and Culture
“Pilot Light’s standards offer a framework for food educators to bring a holistic understanding of food into classroom spaces—exactly what all students need to understand the possibilities of a sustainable food future!”
Meredith Hill-Patel, Founder, RootED
“From their inception, these standards have empowered teachers to bring integrated food education to life, connecting classroom learning to students’ communities, including the value and quality of school meals and how they offer healthy choices.”
Katie Wilson, PhD SNS, Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance
“What I love about these standards is how they relate to food, culture, family, and community—what really counts in promoting healthy diets. These should make learning about food enormously enjoyable as well as useful.”
Marion Nestle, PhD, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, New York University
“Each Standard is like a stepping stone, bringing us closer to understanding and appreciating one another through a shared love of food. Every teacher, school, and community nationwide should embrace the Food Education Standards to make food a part of everyday learning for their kids.”
