I see the encouragement and the push coming from at least two different angles. It's coming from USDA through school programs, and it's also coming from USDA through Extension work. When the group discussed what needed to be taught, they turned to an informal evaluation completed by junior-high students in Dickson County. But when asked what the basic food groups were and the recommended number of servings from each, their scores were extremely poor. The team of educators decided to use a holistic approach to teaching.
Some children are more visual, others auditory, and some are more experiential learners.
We've tried very hard to apply what we know about learning theory. All 17 public schools in Dickson and Hickman counties participate in Team Nutrition. Cavender says that the collaborative effort has provided schools with tools for teaching nutrition that would not have otherwise been available because of limited resources. Cafeteria managers notice an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as milk. Items in the fat and sugar groups are also appropriately labeled.