Who provides the programs on the map?  

The Bainum Family Foundation’s Food Security Initiative team created this tool in collaboration with more than 50 organizations throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia that provide programming and/or research/policy resources related to food education or training. The Food Security Initiative team does not offer direct programming. Instead,  we help people (like you!) find and connect with programs relevant to them.  

What types of programs are available on the map?  

The Food Learning Locator features more than 50 organizations on the site — promoting more than 400 program locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Food-education programs help enhance your personal skills and knowledge of food-related topics (e.g., growing food and cooking). Job-training programs help build specific skills and knowledge for food-related jobs and careers (e.g., agriculture and food service). On our site, there are multiple topics within those two main categories. Learn more about them below.  

Food education  

• Cooking — Culinary instruction to help individuals enhance their at-home cooking skills, recipe library or meal-preparation knowledge  
• Food and healthy eating — Education related to nutrition, healthy foods and balanced eating  
• Growing food — Programs that teach individuals how to grow and harvest food in nonprofessional settings, including homes, schools and community gardens  
• Shopping healthy/on a budget — Instruction to help individuals identify healthy products in stores, shop for healthy food on a budget, use food assistance programs and more  

Job training 

• Agriculture — Training and apprenticeship opportunities for current/aspiring farmers in rural and/or urban agriculture  
• Starting a food business — Professional skill-building for individuals interested in launching food businesses, including food markets, food products and more  
• Culinary/Food service — Culinary and food-safety training for current/aspiring chefs, cooks, school cafeteria staff and more  
• Healthy schools/classrooms — Professional-development opportunities to help educators and administrators integrate information on healthy food into school/classroom environments 

Can this map help me find food banks and/or other emergency food locations?  

No, this map doesn’t list food banks, emergency-food resources or other food-distribution locations. While some programming on the map may involve some food distribution, the Food Learning Locator is designed to connect people with educational programs on healthy food — either to benefit their personal lives or their professional development. However, we believe that education and access are both important components of a healthy lifestyle, so we also offer the “Food Learning Resources” page. This page lists food-access maps, education and job-training resources, food-analysis maps and more. 

Once I find a program I like, how can I attend? 

Check out the program information window – there, you’ll find a program manager’s contact information or a link to the program registration form, which you can use to sign up for a program. 

Do I have to pay to attend classes on the Food Learning Locator? 

Many of the programs on the site are offered for free, and others charge a fee and/or offer tuition assistance to participate. You can filter programs that are 1) free, 2) paid and/or 3) paid/have tuition assistance available.  

Are there any mobile programs on the Food Learning Locator that will come to my school, organization or other location? 

Yes, there are! Check out the “Mobile Programs” page for a list of organizations and their contact information. You can then request them to come to you. 

How often is the map updated?  

Organizations have access to update their program information on an ongoing basis, so our content is regularly changing as new programs are added or program information is modified. 

I have limited access to technology/the internet. How can I use the Food Learning Locator?   

We will be working with key community advocates (e.g., physician networks and schools) so they can use the Food Learning Locator as a tool in their work with clients, networks and communities. You can also easily print site information to share with others by using your browser’s print function.  

Is the site available in any other languages?   

Currently, our site is only available in English. However, we are working to identify how many of our featured programs are available in other languages — because, ultimately, having the site available in multiple languages (including Spanish) is only helpful if users are able to find programming available in their language. We are exploring a potential language filter in the future, but in the meantime, we are making the tool more visual (through photos and icons) and less text-heavy to be more immediately accessible to local residents with limited English language or reading proficiency.  

I would like my organization’s program featured on the map. How do I do that? 

Click here to contact us with your request, and from there, we’ll follow up and walk you through the remainder of the process. 

Are field trip sites featured on the Food Learning Locator?  

Yes! The Food Learning Locator features many urban and rural farms that offer field trip opportunities. You can search for them on the “Food Education” tab. 

I’m a nutritionist/wellness coach/physician/healthcare professional. Can I showcase my services on the Food Learning Locator?   

At this point, the Food Learning Locator is focused on showcasing structured programming (e.g., classes, workshops, certification programs) that are open to groups. We do not host information on individual food or nutrition services/consultations.  

I’m a funder of food programs, how can I connect with organizations running programs I find on the map to learn more? 

Check out the “About the Program Organizations” page to find the contact information for each organization’s development and fundraising staff. 

How do I report missing or incorrect information? 

If you’re a general user, please fill out our contact form to report any incorrect or outdated information. If you’re a program provider, please log into your Program Manager Portal account to correct the information.  

I would like to recommend a resource for the “Other Resources” page and/or a new organization to be featured on the site. How do I do that? 

Please fill out our contact form to recommend any resources or organizations that you’d like to see added to our map.