About the Project
Guåhan Sustainable Culture’s “Lil Sprouts Academy Healthy Futures Afterschool Program”
Guåhan Sustainable Culture (GSC) has conducted Li’l Sprouts Academy (LSA) since 2022 in summer and after-school programs where students learn about food security, gardening skills, and incorporating local foods into diets. The project is an extension of GSC’s overall mission, with the added element of measuring the development of children and family practices of incorporating local foods into their diets.
Through this project, GSC implemented an after-school hands-on educational program to improve knowledge about local foods, basic gardening, and preparing local healthy foods. The project aimed to complete the LSA curriculum among at least 50 children in the Spring and Fall of 2024. To supplement the educational components of the project, GSC provided access to local produce via a produce bag program among participating children and families. The project was evaluated to assess impacts among participants, such as knowledge of gardening and nutrition, knowledge about and awareness of local produce through farmers and farmers markets, and incorporation of local produce in children’s and family diets.
GSC has been successfully leading community outreach and workshops since its formation in 2019. They have facilitated over 50 outreach projects, built 3 community gardens, 10 school gardens, and are actively working with the community’s youth in after-school and summer programs. They have partnered with schools, social and business organizations, and government agencies. This project contributed to GSC’s capacity to expand and build on its successes to further improve nutrition education and food security in Guam.