New Partnership to Bring Food Systems and Planetary Health Education to Young Learners

The Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and the Educated Choices Program (ECP) are proud to announce a new partnership to co-create a first-of-its-kind educational resource for middle and high school students on food systems and Planetary Health. 

Together, PHA and ECP will co-create a 15-minute educational video and an accompanying education package for middle and high school teachers and students. Grounded in the Planetary Health framework, the materials will help learners understand how human activity is reshaping Earth’s natural systems, and why the food choices we make matter for the health of both people and the planet.  

Interweaving history and science, the module will show how our health depends on the air we breathe, the soil that grows our food, and the water we drink. From there, it explores the environmental cost of industrial agriculture, and how our daily food choices are one of the most powerful levers we have to reshape systems that harm us and our planet. 

This new module will add to PHA’s expanding set of resources for children and youth, complementing its free eBook and classroom posters created for young learners. Together, these materials introduce Planetary Health in clear, student-friendly language and equip educators with ready-to-use tools to support the next generation of informed, engaged stewards of a healthier planet. 

To supplement the English and Spanish versions of the materials, PHA welcomes partners to support translation into additional languages. It will be distributed through ECP’s free digital access library and shared across PHA’s expansive global network.  

“Starting Planetary Health education earlier taps into children’s natural curiosity, capacity for learning, and innate connection to the natural world. It also lays the foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship, preparing them not only to face the world’s challenges, but to help lead the way to address them. By combining PHA’s global Planetary Health framework with ECP’s proven ability to turn science into engaging education, we are building something that can change how young people see the world and their place in it.”

Jelena Malogajski
Education Director, Planetary Health Alliance

“The future of planetary health will be shaped by what today’s students understand and the choices they feel empowered to make. At ECP, we have seen how powerful it is when young people connect science to their everyday decisions. By partnering with the Planetary Health Alliance, we are bringing that clarity into classrooms in a way that is grounded in evidence and accessible to educators. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to preparing the next generation not just to understand global challenges, but to thoughtfully and confidently help address them.”

Lorena Mucke
CEO & Founder, Educated Choices Program

About the Planetary Health Alliance 

The Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), based at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC, is a network of more than 565 member organizations across 80+ countries working together to address human-driven environmental changes and their impacts on our health and well-being. The Alliance works across nine Regional Hubs, integrating Planetary Health into education, policy, and practice, building a global movement toward a more regenerative future. Learn more at www.planetaryhealthalliance.org.  

About the Educated Choices Program 

The Educated Choices Program is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free food literacy education to equip students and community members with critical knowledge to improve human and planetary health. Its educational packages have been viewed by more than 3.6 million people across sixty-seven countries and territories. Learn more at www.ecprogram.org.