Programs: Sprouts
Sprouts is a year-round after-school program promoting healthy lifestyle choices through hands-on garden and cooking activities.
Program Goals
- Give students the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy food choices
- Produce fresh, nutritious foods for the school cafeteria
- Create an outdoor garden classroom to complement and support learning in the classroom
Through hands-on, inquiry-based gardening and cooking activities, we seek to increase students’ exposure to fresh, nutritious foods, recognizing that when students have participated in growing, harvesting and preparing foods they are more likely to try new foods and make healthy food choices.
"I like planting because when the seeds start to grow it makes me feel good that I can accomplish something."
—Luke, 3rd grade, Lowell Graded School
Program Impact in the 2009 Growing Season
Sprouts’ fifteen school gardens produced over 2,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce for use in the school cafeterias.