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Books & Cooks

Meet Books & Cooks: a 7-week program where Florida families get free meals and books!

The UF Lastinger Center for Learning’s New Worlds Reading team has partnered with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) to study the connection between literacy, nutrition and food security with eligible New Worlds Reading children and families. 

What is Books & Cooks?

Weekly sessions highlight different children’s books, cooking demonstrations, nutrition education and caregiver-child reading activities. 

At the end of the program, families share their experiences to measure the impact of the Books & Cooks program and help the University of Florida learn what kinds of resources Florida’s families are interested in. 

This Fall, the program is in Miami-Dade, Broward, Polk, Alachua, Columbia and Leon counties.

Why participate?

Each week, participating families receive:

  • Free dinner
  • Free take-home meals
  • Free books
  • Free childcare

Who is eligible?

  • Families in Miami-Dade, Broward, Polk, Alachua, Columbia and Leon counties*.

*Families must consent to participate in the research study to measure the impact of the Books & Cooks program.

Learn more

To learn more about the Books & Cooks program, email booksandcooks@ifas.ufl.edu.

To learn more about New Worlds Reading, visit newworldsreading.com.