Nutrition Educator - Early Childhood Education

Description 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Lead the design,…