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Since 1974, the Outdoor Education Center has continued the hundred-year old Camp Pok-O-Moonshine tradition of family-style meals. Eating family-style gives students, teachers, and instructors a chance to sit together around our large dining tables during meals, encouraging easy conversation outside the structure of classes. Because students take turns serving and clearing their tables, family-style dining offers them the opportunity to take responsibility for the tasks involved in the meal. We expect students to use appropriate table manners, just as they would at home, and to count how many others want more before coming to the serving counter for extra portions. This helps students to think about food waste… when they take additional servings, and when they sort leftover food into our compost, pig slop, and trash bins. Most importantly, family-style dining helps students build awareness of the needs of others and emphasizes the importance of each person’s role in building community here at Pok-O.
Each family-style meal at Pok-O includes enough different dishes to suit even the pickiest of eaters. We emphasize familiar American fare, because our top priority is to ensure that our students have the energy they need to thoroughly enjoy being outside and active all day long. Limiting the options at each meal allows our chef to make each dish delicious, often  from scratch. We always have fresh fruit in our fruit bar for students to enjoy during meals and free time. We also ensure that there are alternatives for students and teachers who have special dietary restrictions. In return, we expect students to bring the same adventurous spirit to meals that they do to all of our outdoor activities. We frequently find that reluctant students will try -and enjoy! - new foods once their friends and instructors have ‘tested’ them first.
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