Q: What is Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms?
A: Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms is a hands-on, interdisciplinary curriculum that teaches students key food safety concepts and practices while meeting state curriculum standards for core subject areas.

Q: Where has the Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms program been implemented?
A: The Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms program is currently operational in middle schools in the southeastern region of the United States in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Q: Why is Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms important?
A: Every year, food-borne illnesses cause an average of 5,000 deaths per year and amount to approximately $19 to 37 billion annually in healthcare. Adolescent students are generally overlooked when it comes to food safety education. Research shows that many adolescents prepare snacks and meals in the home and will soon be prime candidates for employment in the food service industry. Therefore, it is important to reach this population and ensure that they are familiar with food safety techniques and are able to implement these techniques.

Q: What are the options for sponsorship?
A: There are two ways a corporation can partner with the Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms program. The corporation can donate a one-time gift to a school or to support the program in general. The second option for sponsorship is to support a school. Corporations may choose a specific school or negotiations can be made for school recruitment in an area where Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms is not already being implemented.

Q: Is Hands-On: Real-life Lessons for Middle School Classrooms effective?
A: Yes, our research has shown that content retention for the lessons learned was 86 percent percent six weeks after implementation.

Q: How much will it cost for my school to participate?
A: The Hands On program is provided to middle school students at no cost. The program is implemented as part of the curriculum for each core subject area and is taught by you during normal class time.

Q: What will my students learn from the Hands On program?
A: Your students will gain hands-on experience with laboratory exercises and will learn applicable knowledge for their safety and future experiences handling food. Students will also have a better understanding of how core subject areas overlap and connect with each other in the real world.

Q: What if I don't have a strong background in food safety or microbiology?
A: The Hands On staff will provide a free two-day professional development workshop to train you to use the curriculum and successfully execute the interdisciplinary lesson plans. This workshop will raise your background knowledge, model instructional strategies, and discuss instructional theory behind these highly effective strategies.

Q: How do I get the supplies and materials necessary to implement the program?
A: All the materials and supplies are provided to you free of cost. This includes pre-poured Petri plates, loops, gloves, slides, parafilm, hand soap, sanitizer, and other materials required to execute the labs and lessons.

Q: How can I find out more about the program and urge my student's school to get involved?
A: Please visit our website at http://www.handsonclassrooms.org/ or email handson@utk.edu to find more information.