Connecting With Educators - ECP at National Education Conferences
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
The Educated Choices Program (ECP) has been meeting with educators, administrators, and curriculum change-makers from across the country at major national education conferences. Regardless of the event's focus, it is clear that educators are seeking accessible, easy-to-use, standards-aligned tools that help their students make real-world connections and find empowerment through education.
Here’s what we experienced, who we connected with, and what we took away from these events.
The 2025 National Farm to Cafeteria Conference brought together a wide range of people,
including K–12 educators, school and cafeteria directors, farmers, nonprofit leaders, health educators, and philanthropists from across the United States.
Many academic attendees discovered the Educated Choices Program for the first time, and one message resonated immediately: all of our educational resources are completely free. This was met with genuine appreciation, especially among educators already navigating limited budgets and increasing classroom demands. Presentations like "Healthful Eating," "Rethinking Food Waste", and "Growing Community Roots" led to great conversations at our booth.
The conference also created space for deeper, one-on-one conversations with organizations and exhibitors, including FoodCorps, Friends of the Earth, and Gardyn, a company specializing in hydroponic indoor gardens for schools and homes.
"It was so rewarding to take part in this conference alongside so many other food impact and sustainability organizations."
Gerard Snyder
Customer Relations Manager
Educated Choices Program
Attendees were also interested in our upcoming Sea the Impact presentation and Kickstarter campaign. The focus on ocean health and the preview materials, such as campaign stickers, sparked enthusiasm for what’s ahead.
CAST25 gave ECP the chance to meet science educators of all kinds, including those who cover environmental science, chemistry, biology, and physics. A common question across these disciplines was how ECP's food impact education can fit into teachers’ current lesson plans and themes. They were pleased to see how many resources ECP provides, like lesson plans, quizzes, videos, and more, that can easily plug-and-play to supplement current curriculum or fill weeks with new content.
Our Academic Standards Guidelines were also helpful here, showing educators how ECP presentations align with required learning goals across disciplines, even beyond science. Several individuals shared that matching materials with regional standards can be time-consuming, and they were thankful that this guide would reduce that work.
"So many science educators were excited to explore all of our free resources in the ECP video library!"
Gerard Snyder
Customer Relations Manager
Educated Choices Program
While many attendees taught middle and high school, there were some elementary educators who were thrilled to learn that the Educated Choices Program also offers age-appropriate materials for younger learners. There was strong enthusiasm for our plans to continue expanding resources designed specifically for elementary education.
Other Notable National Education Conferences:
AAFCS Conference & Leadership Summit
Casey demoed our education for Family and Consumer Science educators.
NSTA - National Conference on Science Education
Dan and Gerard talk to science teachers about sustainability, STEM, and their students.
What These Conferences Reinforced
Across all of these events, one message was clear: educators want credible, engaging, no-cost resources that support real classroom needs. They are eager to connect food, health, and environmental topics to science standards and everyday learning, and they value organizations that make this work easier and more accessible.
As we create new presentations like Sea the Impact, these conversations help shape our next steps. We’re grateful to every educator who stopped by, asked questions, shared insights, and helped strengthen the growing network committed to informed, empowered choices through education.
Looking Ahead: Spring 2026 Conferences
Our work connecting with educators continues this spring as we head to two more national gatherings.
NSTA 2026 National Conference – Anaheim, CA
April 15–18, 2026
ECP will be at the National Science
Teaching Association’s annual conference in Anaheim. With thousands of science and STEM educators in attendance, NSTA offers a powerful opportunity to share standards-aligned resources that connect food systems, health, and environmental science in meaningful ways.
If you are attending NSTA26, we would love to connect.
Power Of The Plate Conference – San Diego, CA
May 14–17, 2026
ECP will be attending the Power Of The Plate Conference in San Diego, a global gathering focused on evidence-based nutrition, regenerative food systems, and the role of healthcare
professionals in advancing planetary and human health.
This conference brings together clinicians, researchers, and changemakers who are working at the intersection of nutrition science and sustainability. We look forward to building new partnerships, sharing our educational tools, and strengthening collaboration between classroom education and healthcare leadership.
Follow Us for More
Stay in the loop with new releases, educator tips, and real-world classroom stories by connecting with ECP socials!
For classroom-focused inspiration and educator-specific content, you can also follow Teaching Educated Choices on Instagram and Facebook.
About Educated Choices Program
At the Educated Choices Program, we believe every student deserves access to accurate and engaging education that empowers them to build a better future. If you agree, support our organization by using our resources in your classroom and connecting with us for future updates:
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