TEACHING 5TH GRADERS TO SET THE TABLE FOR EATING RIGHT

Spoons Across America
and
Lexington Farmers' Market
Sponsor
The Dinner Party Project
 in October

NEW YORK August 2, 2007- Lexington, Massachusetts, is no stranger to history making events. The town famous for being the site of the opening shots of the first engagement of the American Revolution will make history again this October when the Lexington Farmers' Market leads the healthy-eating charge for kids by hosting The Dinner Party Project®.

The Lexington Farmers' Market joins the movement with Spoons Across America® (SAA) to educate children, teachers and families about the benefits of healthy eating through hands-on eduction that celebrates the connection to local farmers, and the importance of sharing meals around the family table. The Dinner Party Project is a fun filled way for middle-schoolers to connect with nutritious food, meal planning and etiquette.

For 5-weeks, The Bridge School (Lexington, Massachusetts) 5th graders will participate in an After-School Program to learn about locally grown food and recipes, the food pyramid and meal planning, cooking utensils and techniques, hosting and etiquette. They will visit The Lexington Farmers' Market, vote on the menu for the culminating Dinner Party, make the shopping lists and whip-up all of the food (with adult assistance) for the the big night.

Schools across the country have taken on The Dinner Party Project in the past several years, and according to SAA Founder Julia Jordan "collaborating with The Lexington Farmers' Market to present The Dinner Party Project After-School Program offers a clearly defined working model for communities across the country."

"The value of The Dinner Party Project isn't just the immediate feeling of joy from hosting a successful party," says Jordan, a professor of hospitality management at the NY City College of Technology. "It's the lingering empowerment of young people to actively engage in a process of team work with delicious results. The feeling of satisfaction through learned skills that transfer into everyday experiences- cooking and sharing a meal and conversation at home with family and friends. Forging this new relationship with The Lexington Farmers' Market gives kids that sensory contact with food, appreciation for its origins, and understanding of customs and foodways."

The Bridge School has set aside Tuesday afternoons from October 2 to October 30, with the culminating dinner party on Saturday, October 27.

"With the growth of farmers markets nationwide, I feel this is an exceptional opportunity to complete a full circle of education with children about the importance of food, farming, nutrition and the value of eating a meal together as a family. It begins with the food and farmers at the market, which the children will get to meet first hand, follows with discussion about healthy eating and nutrition in the classroom, and ends with the children shopping locally, cooking and sharing of a meal with family and friends." comments Lori Deliso, Lexington Farmers' Market, Co-founder.

The Lexington Farmers' Market is collaborating with Spoons Across America, a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to educating children, teachers, and families about the benefits of healthy eating. The LFM and Spoons Across America are working together to influence the eating habits of children through hands-on education that celebrate the connection to local farmers, and the importance of sharing meals around the family table.

ABOUT THE DINNER PARTY PROJECT: The Dinner Party Project® (TDPP)-- is a dynamic family-focused food education program involving 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders in the entire process of producing a dinner party for their families at a school or community center. Through the project, children are taught about food, nutrition, food safety, meal planning, table setting, etiquette, and cooking. Children learn about the value of community, family, teamwork, and sharing while building their self-esteem and having fun.

Since 2001, 50 dinner parties have been held with over 5,000 children participating across the United States. Each Dinner Party Project is coordinated by a local food professional and a chef. Chef participants have included: Chef Tim Love, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Ft. Worth, TX; Chef Marlin Kaplan, One Walnut, Cleveland, OH; Exec. Chef Feliberto Estevez, Gracie Mansion, New York, NY; Chef Bill Yosses, formerly of Josephs Citarella, New York, NY.

ABOUT SPOONS ACROSS AMERICA: Spoons Across America® (SAA)- the source for children's culinary education- is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating children, teachers, and families about the benefits of healthy eating. We work to influence the eating habits of children through hands-on education that celebrates the connection to local farmers and the important tradition of sharing meals around the family table.

Spoons Across America is a leader in providing and developing food-based educational programs for the classroom, after-school and community organizations. Our Web site, www.spoonsacrossamerica.org, is an online resource providing information, recipes, networking opportunities, and links to children's culinary education programs.

Spoons Across America is a collaborative effort of professional organizations, businesses, and volunteers committed to supporting the Spoons Across America mission. Our partners include The James Beard Foundation; The American Institute of Wine & Food/New York Chapter; California Table Grape Commission; Tim Love's Trail Drive/Lonesome Dove Western Bistro; La Brea Bakery; New York City College of Technology/CUNY; Greenmarket (the citywide farmers market program of the Council on the Environment of NYC); Subscriber Mail; New York Women's Culinary Alliance; Blue Smoke-Jazz Standard; and farmers, chefs, restaurateurs, and food professionals across the United States.

According to a 2000 White House Council of Economic Advisors' report, teenagers who had dinner with their parents five nights a week are far more likely to avoid smoking, drinking, violence, suicide, and drugs. This holds true for single-parent, as well as two-parent families, across all income and racial groups.