In 2010, four chefs in Chicago came together with a common goal: helping kids make healthier food choices. This goal became Pilot Light – a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting students and educators by bringing “the power of food into everyday classroom learning” – showing students what they learn in school is connected to the foods they eat by helping teachers connect food topics to academic subjects like math, social studies, science, and more.

Pilot Light teachers use tools like MyPlate to build those connections. Pilot Light provides teacher training and resources including adaptable lesson plans to get students curious and excited about food.

The PreK-12 program follows Pilot Light’s Food Education Standards (FES), created with community, education, and food and nutrition experts. One standard is “food impacts health,” a natural fit for MyPlate, says the nonprofit’s Executive Director Alex Desorbo-Quinn. Teachers adjust lessons based on their students’ and communities’ needs.

Elsewhere, Pilot Light’s Food Education Fellowship, supported by a USDA farm-to-school grant, trains teachers and offers additional resources and lesson plan ideas using tools like MyPlate. By incorporating food into all subjects, Pilot Light teachers help students have “aha” moments as they learn via food in subjects such as Math and Science.

Food Education Fellows have used MyPlate in a variety of lessons including Spanish lessons as well as part of special education. One Pilot Light teacher overheard her kindergarten students discussing healthy vs. unhealthy foods. Together, they learned about MyPlate then made smoothies blending ingredients from each food group. “This is gonna be really good for my body, my brains, my muscles,” remarked one kindergartener.

Another Pilot Light teacher used the Make Every Bite Count tool from Oregon State University’s Food Hero program to create menus based on individual preferences. High schoolers made pumpkin smoothies with pumpkin, yogurt, and cinnamon.

Some teachers use MyPlate information by age groups to meet the needs of students in varying grade levels. Others use mini lessons from Pilot Light and FRESHEALTH’s SnackTime Explorers program, an educational toolkit designed to accompany the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, to excite students about fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to the classroom. Visits from chefs in their communities also inspire students to become nutrition and food system advocates in their own lives.

Today Pilot Light serves 25 school districts across the country, reaching nearly 11,000 students annually, many from underserved communities. The program ensures all students have access to comprehensive, culturally relevant food, nutrition, cooking, and food systems education.

Pilot Light hopes to expand its program further across the country and help more teachers and students see how food connects communities and impacts health and wellbeing. You can learn more and start using Pilot Light’s free lesson plans at www.pilotlightchefs.org.