Photo courtesy of Little Ones Learning Center, credit: Linden Tree Photography.
By Yaza Sarieh
Yaza Sarieh is a contractor for Farm to School at Georgia Organics and a Childhood Health and Wellness intern at the Georgia Department of Public Health. To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram @GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at www.Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.
“There is no right or wrong answer to Farm to School/ECE—as long as you’re doing something, you’re doing the right thing.”
Wande Okunoren-Meadows is the director and educator at Little Ones Learning Center in Forest Park, where she utilizes Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) practices to support the development of the whole child.
Photo courtesy of Little Ones Learning Center, credit: Linden Tree Photography.
Especially amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Wande believes Farm to ECE has been crucial for her students' health and well-being by boosting their immune systems, helping their mental health, and continuing their love of nutrition and environmental education.
One of the components of Farm to ECE that Wande appreciates the most is how it creates a foundation for life-long respect and value of nature among her students:
“Farm to ECE is holistic, inclusive, and incorporates everything a child needs for their development that you may never have thought of before. I love seeing our students engage with nature on a daily basis in the garden, where they watch life grow and develop a sense of environmental responsibility. If our children love and value nature as much as their Nikes, then we are winning.”
Photo courtesy of Little Ones Learning Center, credit: Linden Tree Photography.