VI. International Nutrition, Health Literacy and Education Conference

5 December 2025

Nourishing the Future: Experiential Nutrition Education in Schools and Social Impact

Background

Children’s eating habits, health behaviours and lifestyle choices are largely established during the early years of life. These behaviours can influence health outcomes throughout adulthood. Schools play a unique role by providing an environment where children gain knowledge and develop practical skills, attitudes and behaviours that support lifelong health.

Nutrition education is increasingly moving beyond traditional classroom instruction. Experiential learning enables children to participate in food preparation, gardening, sensory education, cooking activities, food literacy exercises and interactive classroom experiences. These methods connect scientific knowledge with everyday life. They can strengthen food literacy, decision-making, willingness to try healthy foods and positive dietary behaviours at school, at home and within the wider community.

School-based nutrition education programmes can also support families and communities. They provide opportunities to assess changes in dietary quality, participation, confidence, equity, school attendance and programme reach.

Conference purpose

The VI International Nutrition, Health Literacy and Education Conference will bring together internationally recognised researchers, educators, health professionals, policymakers and civil society organisations to discuss how experiential nutrition education can support healthier children, stronger school food environments and measurable social impact.

The programme will present scientific evidence, international experiences and practical models. It will also examine how schools, governments and other stakeholders can implement, evaluate and sustain effective nutrition education programmes.

Conference Theme

Nourishing the Future: Experiential Nutrition Education in Schools and Social Impact

The conference will focus on evidence showing that nutrition education can be more effective when children actively participate in the learning process. Through international exchange, participants will explore how experiential learning can improve nutrition behaviours and generate positive outcomes at the family, school and community levels.

Conference objectives

The conference aims to:

  • Share recent scientific evidence and practical experience in school-based nutrition education from different countries. 
  • Examine experiential learning models that promote healthy eating behaviours among school-age children. 
  • Explore the relationship between school food environments, school meals, food literacy and health equity. 
  • Present approaches for assessing the long-term effectiveness of nutrition education programmes. 
  • Discuss methods for measuring impact beyond nutritional outcomes, including participation, attendance, confidence, equity, dietary quality and programme reach. 
  • Identify policy, governance and implementation measures that can support sustained school nutrition programmes. 
  • Strengthen cooperation among researchers, educators, health professionals, government bodies and civil society organisations. 
  • Develop practical priorities and recommendations for advancing experiential nutrition education in schools.