Development of Sustainable Food Education Program for Neulbom School focused on Lower Grade Elementary Students

This study developed and evaluated a sustainable food education program for lower elementary school students as a model for Neulbom School, a recently introduced program providing child care and education in elementary schools. The program consisted of 30 sessions over 15 weeks during the second semester of the 2024 academic year for first-grade students at an elementary school in Seoul. Focusing on fostering healthy eating habits and cultivating basic cooking skills for sustainable food practices, a series of lessons were developed on the importance of eating, taste education, awareness of diverse foods, basic cooking, and reducing food waste. These lessons were designed in line with the developmental stages of first graders and included content on cooking practices that reflected and addressed the needs of both students and parents. To this end, necessary lesson plans and teaching materials were developed for each lesson, creating a student-centered approach that met the needs of the target audience. We aimed to nurture basic self-management skills through storytelling with children's books in line with students' developmental stages, body expression activities, and communication through play. Program effectiveness was evaluated through observations of students' behavior, records, and class outputs, as well as participant interviews. The results showed improved basic lifestyle habits and social development, strengthening self-management capabilities. Moreover, both students' and parents' interest in the program increased as they recognized its potential and the need for its expansion as an effective educational tool for elementary school students. Recommendations for program improvement and expansion included customizing and supporting school-based food education programs, developing and expanding age-appropriate cooking utensils, improving awareness and providing the necessary equipment for hygiene and safety for cooking, and offering efficient administrative support for material preparation and food handling. As a novel educational approach that combines care and education, this study seeks to expand the food education component—traditionally underrepresented in the elementary school curriculum—into a program that fosters self-management skills in food management through educational activities offered by the Neulbom School.