Community Food Educator Certification
FamilyCook Productions provides training for the staff at schools, community-based organizations and other agencies to conduct one or more of our six programs in their community. Our programs and curricula are available through a license and require two instructors to be trained. Programs and trainings are designed for the most basic learning environment. No fancy kitchen necessary!
FCP’s multi-disciplinary Training Certificate Program enables participants without prior cooking experience or a college education to develop basic skills, and confidence to successfully run a FamilyCook program.
The FCP certification training is conducted in three parts:
- Distance Learning:
Program Goals, Basic Culinary Intro and Food Safety and Family Nutrition modules online
(2.5 hours approximately – includes written assessment) - Hands On Culinary and Lesson Practice:
Conducted in-person for all full day for most programs except Willow, which can be conducted live online in one morning
(Performance and written assessments) - Program Management Webinar:
Final requirement before program launch (1 hour)
The hands-on portion of our trainings in NYC are conducted in partnership with the Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI) in Manhattan. An NGI Chef Instructor complements the FCP team of dietician, chef(s) and youth or child development specialist, when appropriate.
The following skills are developed:
Culinary skills, emphasizing knife skills and safety to easily prepare fresh food and vegetables- Food safety & hygiene
- Fundamental nutrition principals and healthy eating strategies
- Recipe demonstration/presentation in front of an audience
- Collaborative recipe preparation
- Program management
Upon passing, participants will be awarded a Certificate that certifies their skills as a Certified Food Educator by our organization. In NYC, the certificate program is endorsed by the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.
For organizations outside of New York City area, on-site trainings for the hands-on portion are available – 8 trainee minimum.
We also offer program evaluation tools and training for partners who want to evaluate the impact of the program they will operate in their schools or community.
Licensing Requirements and Details
Upcoming FamilyCook Training Dates
We offer group training dates (accommodating up to 26 persons) several times a year.
Note: FCP requires a minimum of two individuals per program site, who will work together as a team, to be trained in our curricula. We additionally recommend that at least one supervisory person from each program site also be trained, as supervisors must understand the program to manage it properly.
By-Products of FCP Programs:
The educators who are trained to teach FCP’s programs are empowered by the training. The training prompts a transformation in the educators’ own relationships with food by giving them the skills to cook the kind of meal that tastes good and is good for them. They experience how cooking collaboratively in a group is a celebratory, joyous experience and they are eager to share their knowledge with the children and, when appropriate, with the parents. Hence the program furthers staff development and embeds the knowledge in your community!
