At Sprouts, we support school gardens, knowing that children who grow their own fruits and vegetables tend to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and that with added cooking instruction, they’ll incorporate more of these healthy eating habits into their everyday lives. But school gardens do more than just grow produce – they support the whole child, benefitting their social, emotional, physical and mental health. Through STEM lessons and hands-on education in the garden, students develop leadership and team building skills while also learning about fresh, healthy food.
Announcing Sprouts’ Round Up for Kids’ Nutrition Education
Sprouts is pleased to invite our customers to round up their purchase in store to support kids gardening and nutrition education programs!
Since 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has contributed over $18 million into advancing children’s nutrition education and access to fresh fruits and vegetables through school gardening programs.
Over 3 million students across the country are already being reached through programs funded by Sprouts, and with your donation, together, we can reach even more.
What Will Donations Support?
At the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, our commitment is to help build, support and sustain school gardening initiatives, while also investing in teacher training and resources to help these programs to thrive.
School gardens provide comprehensive education for children, where lessons in math, science, reading, and writing can all be intertwined.
And at the peak of this process, students are rewarded with the best prize of them all – crisp, nutrient-packed, garden-fresh produce that makes eating fruits and vegetables a positive experience!
To run a successful school gardening program, gardens, just like people, need resources to stay healthy and strong.
Some of the areas that funding will go to include:
- Garden Necessities (Seeds, Soil, Plant Food, etc.)
- Garden Equipment & Tools
- Educational Materials for Students
- Curriculum Development
- Online Resources for Teachers & Parents
- Staff and Teacher Training
Local Partners and Impact
Over 120 nonprofit organizations across 23 states are currently running programs funded, in-part, by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, impacting thousands of children every day. Get to know a few of our local partners featured below!Donations raised will be awarded to local school garden organizations through our annual grant application, not specifically to the organizations listed below. In 2022, we awarded $3 million in grants to local partners.
SAN DIEGO
Sage Garden Project
Sage Garden Project works across 46 schools in San Diego, providing hands-on gardening and cooking education to elementary school students. With Sprouts’ grant support, the organization now has cooking carts in all of the schools it serves, and it has grown its teacher training program to impact dozens of cooking and garden educators. Through participant surveys, Sage Garden Project has seen an increase in student attendance on days that the children know they’ll be out in the garden and an increase in students’ willingness to try fruits and vegetables once they’ve learned about them through Sage Garden Project’s program.
PHOENIX
Blue Watermelon Project
Led by James Beard award-winning chef, Charleen Badman, Blue Watermelon Project delivers interactive cooking and gardening lessons to students across Phoenix, enhancing their relationship with food. Serving grades K-12, Blue Watermelon Project ties together culinary and garden-based education while highlighting a food’s history and place in our culture. Through their Chef in The Garden program, Blue Watermelon Project teaches students how to grow and prepare healthy dishes that they can easily make at home or share with the community through their annual Feeding the Future cooking competition.
DALLAS
Out Teach
Out Teach
serves elementary students across Dallas, Texas, as well as in five other states and Washington D.C., transforming under-utilized outdoor spaces into engaging Outdoor Learning Labs. Sprouts has proudly partnered with Out Teach since 2016, supporting the buildout of 14 of their educational gardens. Through their curriculum, Out Teach works to unlock students’ academic performance, seeing an average of 12-15% increase in their standardized test scores as a result. The organization’s STEM and nutrition-focused lessons deliver practical skills to students that they can use every day and carry with them into adulthood.
ORLANDO
IDEAS For Us
IDEAS For Us explores scalable solutions to address food and environmental challenges. Their programs operate at both the school and the community level, reaching people of all ages with edible education. Through Sprouts’ contributions to their Fleet Farming program, IDEAS For Us is expanding their school garden work, with an emphasis on the Audubon Park K-8 School and surrounding neighborhood. In this area, IDEAS has built out 12 micro-farms and expanded the school’s educational garden, producing healthy food for students and the larger community. Through their programs, IDEAS For Us is leading the charge with Orlando’s environmental initiatives, benefitting residents today and for many years to come.
Resources for School Garden Educators
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation supports the ongoing professional development of school garden educators through in-person and virtual gatherings, as well as digital resources. Through our bi-annual Growing School Gardens Summit, educators convene for three days of on-site learning with workshops, field trips, and education sessions. Learn more about the Growing School Gardens Summit and our conference partner, the School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network, in the links below.Round Up for Kids’ Nutrition Education FAQs
Where can I go to learn more about the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation’s grant opportunities?- We have grant partners across all 23 states where Sprouts has stores. For a complete list of partners, please visit our grant page for more information.
- We provide grant funding to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.