SEED-TO-FEED: A YOUTH SUSTAINABLE FOOD PILOT PROJECT: A UNIVERSITY, CHARTER SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLABORATION

Johnson C. Smith University recently began a new program called Sustainability Village: Integrated Living and Learning. This is an innovative living-learning prototype for students that integrate academic coursework, research, service learning, and experiential education opportunities to enhance student understanding of sustainable development, community food systems and alternative lifestyles that promote conservation. With this initiative a new community garden, green house, and aquaponic garden was constructed. One goal of Sustainability Village is to conduct community workshops for adults and youth on how to prepare foods to control and manage weight, as well as trainings for local residents and providers.

Seed-to-Feed: A Youth Sustainable Food Pilot Project is a seed-to-table program designed to reconnect youth to a healthy food system, teach them how to grow and prepare fresh food, and empower them to make healthy life choices. To accomplish this, Seed-to-Feed will offer year-round, instructional, hands-on programs for 5th and 6th grade students at Sugar Creek Charter School (SCCS). The program will be taught in Health Class, and in the after school program of SCCS, which would serve as a safe location where the students can participate in local food production, preparation, and consumption.

The objectives of the project are that students will be able to:
• Successfully grow fresh food in various types of gardens;
• Recognize that being healthy involves eating a variety of healthy foods;
• Describe the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables;
• Identify healthy snack foods from all of the food groups;
• Become aware that they can make decisions to be healthy through their food choices; and
• Identify safe food handling practices in the kitchen.

The purpose of this session is to share the results of the pilot program that was conducted prior to launching the year-long program. As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify challenges and opportunities for this type of program;
• Discuss ways to improve the program; and
• Share their experiences with similar programs.