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Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation Announces Educational Broadcast Celebrating America’s School Gardens
Hundreds of elementary schools to participate in an educational event during USDA’s National Garden Month PHOENIX, April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprouts
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[{"type":"text","content":"Hundreds of elementary schools to participate in an educational event during USDA’s National Garden Month\nPHOENIX, April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, with support from the School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network, will host the first-ever, virtual garden-based learning event with lessons led by students from school garden sites from coast to coast on April 27 from 10 to 11 a.m. PT on growingschoolgardens.org. The event furthers the Sprouts Healthy Community Foundation’s commitment to advancing children’s nutrition education and is in honor of National Garden Month which was nationally declared by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2015. “It is essential that we educate our children about establishing good nutrition and healthy eating habits early in life to lead to better, positive health outcomes later in life,” said Vilsack. “We need to expand and improve our outreach and education with a much greater focus on nutrition security, giving children and families tools to make healthy food choices because the food we eat affects our health throughout our lives. One of the most effective education tools we have with kids is gardens. When a child tastes food grown in a garden for the first time, it opens her eyes to new choices and can begin a nutrition journey that lasts a lifetime.” The 45-minute virtual event, titled Growing School Gardens: Seeding a Healthy Future for Our Youth, will be taught through student voices and viewed by an estimated 500 elementary schools. Lessons will capture how school gardens are advancing nutrition and environmental literacy, STEM education, and social-emotional wellness. “This event provides educators with classroom content and will increase awareness to the true value of garden-based education,\" said John Fisher, co-founder of SGSO. “Teachers know it, and research shows it. School gardens increase children’s sense of responsibility to care for the environment; academic achievement and engagement; self-confidence and teamwork.” Livestream activities kick off in Hawaii and culminate in Washington, D.C. Topics and locations include: Cultural Connections Between Plants, People, Food and Land hosted by Kokua Foundation at Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School in Waimea, HawaiiWhat a School Garden Means to Students hosted by Life Lab at Radcl...