Amplify Grant Funds Early Childhood Educators to Attend Food Connects Farm to School Conference

A recent partnership between Food Connects and RiseVT, the primary prevention program of OneCare Vermont, increases accessibility for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) to attend the upcoming Food Connects Farm to School Conference. Funding through RiseVT’s Amplify Grant has made it possible for 15 ECEs to attend Food Connects’ Conference on April 8 at no cost. Interested applicants can learn more about the conference at foodconnects.org/farm-to-school-conference or directly apply for the scholarship at bit.ly/ftsscholarship. 

“Food Connects provides a wide array of support services to area elementary and high schools. These include meeting facilitation, local purchasing and procurement support in cafeterias, grant writing support, and curriculum development” says Farm to School Program Manager, Conor Floyd. “Food Connects’ work encourages healthier lifestyles for students by getting kids outside, growing their own food, and improving the quality of food served in cafeterias.”

As the Farm to Early Childhood Education movement grows nationwide, Food Connects is excited to partner with local child care centers to promote health, wellness, and high-quality educational opportunities. The scholarships provided through the Amplify Grant will help create a cohort of energized Farm to School champions at the early childhood level. These educators will bring their learning from the conference back to their respective organizations, incorporating Farm to School programming in early education settings and developing students' healthy lifestyle habits from an earlier age.

ECEs working with students from birth to pre-K in the towns of Brattleboro, Guilford, Vernon, Newfane, and Townshend are eligible for the scholarship and encouraged to apply. The scholarship application deadline is February 18 with applicant notifications going out on February 21. Registration for the conference closes on March 18. 

Questions about the scholarship or conference can be directed to Conor at conor@foodconnects.org.

Food Connects is an entrepreneurial non-profit that delivers locally produced food as well as educational and consulting services aimed at transforming local food systems. The Food Hub aggregates and delivers from over 70 local farms and food producers to over 140 buyers in southeast Vermont, southwest New Hampshire, and western Massachusetts. Their educational services focus Farm to School programming. Acknowledged as a statewide leader, the program supports over 30 schools to increase local food purchasing, school meal participation, and food, farm, and nutrition education. Together these core programs contribute to a vibrant local economy by increasing local food purchases by schools and improving students’ nutrition and academic performance. Additionally, Food Connects is frequently hired to provide leadership and consulting services for efforts aimed at transforming local food systems in the New England region.