University of Maryland pilot "Food for Thought" ties meals to family literacy, reports 27 families completed sessions

MIIL described a family-facing pilot called Food for Thought that pairs food deliveries, short instructional videos and in-community sessions to help caregivers adopt culturally and linguistically responsive practices that support classroom learning. Dr. Donald DJ Bolger said the pilot was designed to be asset-based for Latine families, incorporate math as well as literacy and to make family literacy a routine practice rather than an isolated event. "I think 27 completed all 4 sessions," Bolger said when reporting pilot completion numbers.

The pilot ran at Thomas Stone Elementary and targeted about 30 families (some households included multiple children), with the MIIL team exploring foundation funding to expand the model across the county. Committee members discussed potential partnerships, incentives and alignment with school outreach to increase family participation if the county pursues scale-up.