Training on food and nutrition education for schools of Saint George
This training is part of the regional project activities for the strengthening of school feeding programmes
Saint George, 21th of September, 2016 – To strengthen skills on food and nutrition education, the integration in the following: food, nutrition, environment and sustainability in the school curricula and the use of school gardens as a teaching tool. These are the goals of the training that ends today in Saint George, Grenada.
The course counted on the participation of roughly 30 people among principals and teachers of schools, members of the school community, cooks, professionals from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Education, representatives of the School Feeding Council and other United Nations agencies.
This training is part of the regional project activities carried out by FAO and the Government of Brazil for the strengthening of school feeding programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the framework of Brazil-FAO International Cooperation. Grenada is one of the 13 countries that are part of this project.
Sustainable Schools
In Grenada, with the technical support of the project, activities are being implemented as part of the Sustainable Schools Initiative. It is expected: a study on the nutritional status of students; the implementation and strengthening of school gardens; the development of nutritionally and culturally appropriate menus; and improvement of school infrastructure, among others.
The experience of sustainable schools was designed with the aim of establishing a reference of sustainable school feeding programmes in the country, especially from activities such as involvement of the educational community, the adoption of appropriate and healthy school menus, implementation of learning school gardens, renovation of kitchens, dining areas, storage rooms and direct purchases from local family farms for school feeding.
“It is essential that in the countries, especially the school community actors are empowered on key issues such as food and nutrition education and coping mechanisms due to malnutrition diseases," says Najla Veloso, project regional coordinator.
During the last four years, the experience of sustainable schools has been successfully implemented in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the participation of 75,141 children in 338 schools.