Our Mission

From kitchen to classroom, the Foundations for Feeding and Early Development (FEED) Lab empowers early childhood teachers, families, and communities with evidence-based strategies to improve children’s dietary quality and school readiness. Our approach integrates early education, exposure to healthy foods, and access to healthy foods within high-quality learning environments.

  • Commitment to research-driven strategies that effectively improve health and education outcomes.

  • We believe in building strong partnerships with teachers, families, children, and community members to support sustainable change. Engaging and compensating community partners as co-designers is critical to our work.

Leadership
Dr. Virginia C. Stage, a registered dietitian, associate professor, and seasoned nutrition education and behavior expert, leads the FEED team. With a PhD in Nutrition Science from NC State University and a wealth of experience in child nutrition and feeding, Dr. Stage is passionate about improving early childhood dietary practices and educational outcomes.

Mrs. Jocelyn Dixon, also a registered dietitian, is the FEED Assistant Director. With a Master’s in Public Health and a focus on early childhood nutrition, Jocelyn supports program development, educator training, and community partnerships. She is passionate about helping teachers and families use simple, practical strategies to support young children’s healthy eating and learning.

Evidence-based Programs
Our team develops educational programming that addresses real challenges faced by teachers and families when feeding young children. To support these efforts, we also conduct cutting-edge research in collaboration with local communities to examine the impact of early food exposure and nutritional education on young children. Current projects include developing integrative curricula that utilize food as a STEAM education tool, investigating the role of teachers in shaping health behaviors, and supporting the development of local, state, and federal policies to enhance nutritional education within the Head Start community.

Community and Outreach
Our FEED team collaborates with NC State University's Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed), Head Start, and other key community partners to translate our research into practice. We are actively involved in community-based initiatives that improve not only child health but also the practices of early childhood educators and young families.