As Allergic to Salad educators we often teach independently at different schools, so it is always a treat when we get together in one room. Our annual ATS educator training took place just before the start of the school year and we had the chance to gather, hear one another’s stories, and share ideas and resources for classroom management, recipe hacks, and engaging students.

Sarah demoes a Sauerkraut recipe

Our classes are now in 150 schools across all five boroughs, and our program continues expanding! Educators come from diverse backgrounds and bring a variety of skill sets to the table. We are CIA graduates, doulas, personal trainers, nutrition coaches, parents, and food advocates, to name a few. Some of us have been teaching for Allergic to Salad for over three years.

ATS founder Stacey Ornstein shared the wisdom she’s gained from 5+ years of teaching in classrooms all over NYC and Educator Coordinator Sarah Carlisle demonstrated fermentation methods with a vegetable sauerkraut.

The skills we cultivate in our students are sophisticated and, increasingly, draw upon a STEM based curriculum that incorporates the scientific method and a curiosity-driven, problem solving approach to cooking. But our basic approach is simple: try everything. This includes different ingredients and approaches (food allergies allowing). You don’t have to like it. But if you don’t try you’ll never know.