The Food Smarts Training Program

(Click here to take our Eligibility Quiz)

The Food Smarts Training Program (FSTP) is a train-the-trainer program designed to help individual organizations and schools achieve health and wellness initiatives by empowering their staff and/or volunteers to facilitate Food Smarts Workshops (FSW) with their clients. 

Since April 2011, Leah's Pantry has trained 41 individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego.  Graduates include staff and volunteers from organizations like Children's Council of SF, YWCA, UCSF, International Rescue Committee, Salvation Army, and the Alameda Department of Public Health.

We outreach for large multi-agency trainings through our partnerships with regional food banks (such as the San Francisco Food Bank and Feeding America San Diego.)  We also hold single-agency trainings by request.  Please email Adrienne if you are interested in exploring this option for your agency.

The program begins with two full days of training, after which graduates will be ready to facilitate Food Smarts Workshops at their organization or school.  Once trained, they will receive ongoing support from their partnership with Leah's Pantry through site visits, curriculum materials, membership in our online community, and advanced training opportunities.  Organizations are asked to hold at least two Food Smarts Workshops at their site within 12 months.

Here is a sample of topics covered during the training:

• Nutrition Basics
• Health Basics: Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, HBP, Obesity
• Health Care for the Underserved 
• Cooking Basics and Workshop Recipes
• Facilitation Strategies for Diverse Groups
• Creating Individual Nutrition Goals
• Organizing a Healthy Life
• Case Studies
• Individual Presentations of Customized Lesson Plans
• Creating an Site Workshop & Outreach Plan

Click here to learn more about our Food Smarts Workshop Series.  This has been our main program since our start in 2006.