Nutrition Educator – Early Childhood Education

Position Summary

The Nutrition Educator supports Next Door’s mission to help young children and families build the foundation for a successful future by delivering high-quality, developmentally appropriate nutrition education for children, their families, and the Next Door team of educators to incorporate into their teaching practices. This role serves children and educators across both Next Door sites (Capitol Drive and 29th Street) and is responsible for planning and delivering nutrition education programming for Next Door programming.

Grounded in Head Start School Readiness Goals, the Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF), Head Start Health Services Performance Standards, CACFP nutrition standards, and applicable local and state health department regulations, the Nutrition Educator facilitates hands-on, experiential learning that promotes healthy eating habits, food literacy, and lifelong wellness. This role further serves as an instructional model for educators and families in service to the children served across Next Door’s educational programming. In partnership with the Educational and Nutrition staff, the Nutrition Educator builds staff capacity through modeling, coaching, co-teaching, and collaborative planning to ensure nutrition education is developmentally appropriate and compliant with all health, safety, and nutrition requirements.

Given many of our families may live in food deserts, have limited access to healthy options for nutrition, or struggle with the rising costs of food, this role will also share ways caregivers might access and incorporate healthy meals for children in their critical developmental years. The Nutrition Educator role will foster a love for healthy foods, knowledge in preparing nourishing meals, and joy in sharing a meal with others.

Key Responsibilities

1. High-Quality Nutrition Education for Children

• Plan and deliver engaging, hands-on nutrition education experiences in classrooms and Kids Kitchens at both the Capitol Drive and 29th Street locations, as well as Next Door’s ECE community partners, on occasion.
• Facilitate food exploration, cooking activities, and nutrition lessons that support Head Start School Readiness Goals and promote children’s development across all ELOF domains.
• Align nutrition education experiences with CACFP meal requirements and Head Start Health Services Performance Standards, reinforcing age-appropriate concepts such as balanced meals and healthy food choices.
• Integrate nutrition education into classroom routines, projects, and play-based learning for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Support children’s emerging inquiry skills by encouraging curiosity, sensory exploration, basic food preparation, and discussions about food, health, and wellness.
• Work with Instructional Coaches, Teachers and Parent Educators to document children’s learning using observation, photos, and Next Door assessment tools (e.g., Teaching Strategies GOLD) to inform instruction and support individualized learning.

2. Educator Modeling, Coaching & Support

• Model effective nutrition education strategies for classroom teachers within classrooms, learning environments and events, and Kids Kitchens, across both Next Door sites.
• Co-plan lessons and co-teach with classroom teams to embed nutrition concepts into literacy, math, science, social-emotional learning, and play-based experiences.
• Provide job-embedded coaching and actionable feedback to educators related to nutrition education, healthy feeding practices, and developmentally appropriate food experiences.
• Occasionally deliver and model nutrition education programming in community early childhood partner sites, supporting alignment with Head Start, CACFP, and public health standards.
• Collaborate with the Nutrition team, Instructional Coaches, Education leadership, and Next Door Teachers to develop professional learning aligned with program goals and all health and safety regulations.
• Promote reflective practice and continuous improvement aligned with Next Door’s commitment to instructional quality and child well-being.

3. Kids Kitchens Programming, Health & Safety Compliance

• Lead the design, coordination, and delivery of nutrition education programming within the Kids Kitchens at the Capitol Drive and 29th Street locations.
• Ensure all Kids Kitchens activities comply with CACFP food safety and sanitation requirements, including safe food handling, allergy awareness, choking prevention, and sanitation practices.
• Align Kids Kitchens programming with Head Start Health Services Performance Standards, including practices that support children’s nutritional well-being, physical health, and safe learning environments.
• Ensure compliance with local and state health department regulations, licensing requirements, and internal health and safety policies.
• Develop lesson plans, activity guides, and hands-on cooking experiences that support school readiness outcomes and healthy habits.
• Prepare, organize, and maintain materials, food supplies, and instructional resources to support consistent, high-quality programming.
• Partner with Nutrition staff and health services to support coordinated approaches to nutrition, wellness, and health education.

4. Family & Community Engagement

• Partner with families by sharing nutrition education strategies, culturally varied recipes, and ideas for healthy cooking and food exploration at home.
• Design and facilitate nutrition-focused family engagement events, workshops, and learning opportunities within Kids Kitchens and classrooms.
• Support family understanding of CACFP meal patterns, Head Start nutrition and health expectations, and community food and wellness resources.
• Serve as a nutrition education ambassador within the Next Door community, highlighting how early nutrition education supports lifelong health, learning, and well-being.
• Collaborate with community partners (e.g., health departments, food access organizations, community gardens, farmers’ markets) to expand family access to nutrition and health resources.
• As this program expands, possibilities exist to work with children from the community on Next Door’s wait list, in local foster care/adoptive/kinship circumstances, those experiencing homelessness, or other community needs that align with Next Door’s mission of ensuring all children have access to exceptional educational opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow.

5. Program Quality, Health Services Alignment & Data-Informed Practice

• Use child outcome data, observations, and assessment results to refine nutrition education programming and ensure alignment with Head Start School Readiness Goals and health outcomes.
• Support program monitoring, documentation, and continuous quality improvement related to CACFP compliance and Head Start Health Services Performance Standards.
• Participate in cross-departmental collaboration to support program-wide initiatives related to child health, safety, wellness, and family engagement.
• Contribute to health and nutrition-related program evaluation efforts and reporting requirements.

Qualifications

Required

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Nutrition, Public Health, Health Education, or a closely related field.

• The incumbent must have access to a personal vehicle to use on a daily basis, maintain a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance with liability limits of $300,000 (bodily injury) and $25,000 (property damage for each occurrence).
• Experience delivering educational or nutrition programming to children ages 0–5 in a high-quality early childhood or Head Start setting.
• Knowledge of or readiness to learn CACFP meal pattern requirements, food safety practices, and Head Start Health Services Performance Standards.
• Understanding of developmentally appropriate practice, play-based learning, and experiential hands-on instruction with young children.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with the Next Door team of educators.
• Strong skills in communication, ability to engage, and in building trusting relationships with families and community partners.
• Commitment to Next Door’s values of inclusive learning opportunities for all students’ needs and abilities in whole-child development.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced training in nutrition education, public health, dietetics, or early childhood health and wellness.
• Experience facilitating cooking or food-based education in early childhood settings.
• Experience in educator coaching, modeling, or professional development.
• Familiarity with Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies GOLD, CACFP documentation, and Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills.

Core Competencies Aligned with Next Door’s Mission

• Child-Centered Practice: Supports school readiness through joyful, hands-on nutrition education and food exploration.
• Cultural Awareness: Honors families’ cultures, food traditions, and community contexts in nutrition education.
• Collaborative Leadership: Builds educator capacity through modeling, coaching, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Health, Safety & Compliance: Upholds Head Start Health Services Performance Standards, CACFP requirements, and health department regulations.
• Family Partnership: Empowers families with knowledge, skills, and resources to support children’s health and nutrition.
• Continuous Learning: Engages in ongoing professional growth and contributes to a culture of quality improvement across Next Door.