Educated Choices Program

Remember how much food got thrown away after school lunch?

For Food Waste Prevention Week, we’re highlighting how schools can help students notice food waste, understand why it happens, and explore ways to prevent it.

Explore Sustainable NCW's Organics Management Education video series for practical guidance on managing food scraps and composting in Washington.

Then bring the bigger picture into your classroom with ECP’s free Rethinking Food Waste video and education package, following a slice of pizza through the food system to uncover where waste happens and how we can reduce it.

Save this post or share it with an educator ready to start the conversation!

🔗 Ecprogram.org/food-waste

“Food waste is a systems problem, but many solutions begin with everyday choices.” 🍎🌎

For Food Waste Prevention Week, we’re highlighting how education can help students understand food waste, take practical action, and bring those habits into their homes and communities.

Swipe through ECP’s key takeaways from our webinar, including the resources lost to food waste and everyday steps to prevent it.

Watch the full webinar for more insights from ECP’s Founder and CEO Lorena Mucke, plus Michele Drucker, President of Florida Green Schools PTSA, on how education and action in schools can help reduce food waste.

🔗 Watch the recording and our free educational resources here: ecprogram.org/food-waste

And check out our new blog on How to Reduce Food Waste: bit.ly/4z1gH1O

We’re heading to the NAAEE 🎓🌎 conference next week! 🌎🌱

We’re so excited to connect with environmental educators, share ECP’s free food systems education resources, and have both Debbie Cravey and Casey Clemens presenting during the conference!

📍 Come meet ECP at Booth #1!

🎤 Debbie Cravey
Wednesday, October 7 | 4:00–4:40 PM | Broadway II
Exhibitor Showcase—Using Materials from the Educated Choices Program with Your Learners
Get an inside look at ECP’s free food systems resource library and hands-on materials designed for classroom learning.

🎤 Casey Clemens
Friday, October 9 | 8:30–9:10 AM | Broadway IV
Driving Conservation Behavior Through Food Systems Education
Explore how research-informed food systems education can connect students’ everyday choices with conservation impact.

If you’ll be at NAAEE, stop by Booth #1 to say hello, meet our team, and learn more about bringing food systems education into your classroom. We can’t wait to see you there! 💙

What could change if students helped lead the effort to prevent food waste? 💚

From noticing what gets tossed in the lunchroom to planning solutions with their communities, students can put learning into action.

We’re joining Food Waste Prevention Week in highlighting how education can help prevent waste, protect resources, and empower young people to be part of the solution.

Start the conversation with Rethinking Food Waste, our most popular educational video! Follow a slice of pizza from field to trash, then explore solutions with free lesson plans, activities, and our Food Waste Guide. 🍕

Educators: What’s one food waste solution your students could explore at school?

Explore our Food Waste Prevention Week Landing Page: Ecprogram.org/food-waste

Food waste prevention starts before, during, and after mealtime. 🍎♻️

For , we’re breaking down practical ways to waste less food at home and in the classroom in our new blog: How to Reduce Food Waste.

From smarter meal planning and shopping to making the most of leftovers and composting scraps, small changes can help save food, money, and the valuable resources that go into producing what we eat. 🌎

We’re taking it a step further with 3 food waste challenges you can try yourself or turn into a classroom activity!

👉 Read the new blog and choose your challenge: bit.ly/4AN2sQb

For Food Waste Prevention Week, we’re sharing student reactions to our most popular video, Rethinking Food Waste: The Journey of Food!

From the water, land, and energy used to produce food to what happens when it goes uneaten, these reflections show how food impact education can spark new perspectives and meaningful conversations.

Swipe to see what stuck with students, then bring the lesson to your classroom or community with our free video and accompanying Education Package. 🌎

Explore the resource without an account for a limited time: ecprogram.org/watch-rfw

World Animal Day Official - October 4 is October 4! 🐘🌎

Now is the perfect time to plan how you’ll bring animal and food-system education into your classroom.

Our food choices connect people, animals, and the environment in powerful ways. Choosing more whole plant foods can support human health while reducing pressures on animals and the planet. 🌱

In our free video lesson, The Planet and Our Plates, students explore how food choices affect animals, natural resources, biodiversity, workers, and the climate, while discovering practical solutions for a more sustainable food system.

Plan ahead for October 4 and bring the conversation into your classroom. 💙

🔗 Explore the free lesson at EducatedChoices.org

Today at 4 PM EDT 🌱

School lunchrooms are a place where students can see food waste firsthand and help shape solutions. Join ECP founder and CEO Lorena Mucke and Florida Green Schools PTSA President Michele Drucker for From Waste to Wellness: Food Waste Solutions that Empower Students for a Sustainable Future.

Together, they’ll explore how food waste education can lead to practical action in schools and communities, from food recovery to composting and student leadership.

Join us for this Food Waste Prevention Week conversation.

Register through the link: bit.ly/46PlkAi

What if the scraps from tonight’s dinner could become something you harvest later? 🌱

For Food Waste Prevention Week, we’re sharing a simple way to give food a second life: regrow it at home. Green onions, celery, herbs, and even carrot-top greens can grow from pieces you might otherwise toss.

Our new blog walks you through what to save, how to get started, and what you can use from each plant. You only need a little water and a spot by the window to try your first one.

Read Regrowing Food at Home: An Easy Way to Fight Food Waste and Boost Your Health here: bit.ly/4zoBexR

Which scrap would you try regrowing first?