While teaching a Grow It, Try It, Like it! series to a T.R. Jackson Pre-K Head Start class, FNP Nutrition Educator JoLynn Peoples sparked students’ curiosity about healthy foods. Inspired by their excitement, Ms. Kerry, the classroom teacher, decided to create something special to extend their learning: a picture book featuring the fruits and vegetables introduced in each lesson. As the students explored new foods, Ms. Kerry added pages to the book. It soon became a part of her classroom centers and a class treasure, sparking weekly discussions about the fruits and vegetables students had tried during nutrition education. What began as a simple lesson blossomed into a lasting classroom resource—reinforcing healthy habits and the joy of discovery.
“I created this simple little book as a reminder to try different things, and you may find that some are actually good. Just yesterday as we were discussing what we planted in our gardens, I described a squash, and someone yelled ‘Squash just like Mrs. Peoples had us try!’” said Kerry
The partnership between T.R. Jackson Pre-K Center and FNP goes back several years. It includes PSE specialists supporting the school garden as an outdoor classroom in addition to the nutrition education provided indoors. In 2025, Ms. Peoples, along with Kayle Mears, PSE specialist, provided 30 potato garden baskets, which the children used to plant, tend, and harvest the potatoes. They also brought sunshades to support outdoor play during the Florida heat.
“Ms. Kerry runs the outdoor classroom, which includes a lot of hands-on STEM play. It’s also where we donated beds, soil, and plants. The kids would see, touch, smell, and taste from the garden beds,” said Peoples.