The Little Sprouts Early Childhood Education Garden Program

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: no-till, pollination, pollinator habitat, seed saving
• Education and Training: youth education
• Farm Business Management: farm-to-institution
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity
• Pest Management: integrated pest management, mulches - general, prevention, smother crops, soil solarization
• Sustainable Communities: community development, community services, food access and security, food sovereignty, local and regional food systems, partnerships, quality of life, urban agriculture

1. What We Taught Youth about Sustainable Agriculture: The Little Sprouts Early Childhood Education Garden Program leads preschool-age learners in an integrated agricultural curriculum at Flance Early Learning Center and Guardian Angel Child Development Center.
2. Educational Approach and Youth Learning Outcomes: During lessons, children learned about the plant life cycle and plant care. They harvested, prepared, and tasted the produce they have grown. UHSTL instilled the value of ecological stewardship through sustainable practices and a hope-based approach.
3. Succinct Statement of Conclusions: Through these lessons, UHSTL introduced children to a variety of fruits and vegetables, from seed to table, sparking their curiosity about growing food and encouraging them to try things they may not have tried before.
4. Youth, Educator, or Parent Adoption:

   During the edible art workshop, children excitedly consumed almost all of the fresh produce that was brought for the project. Celery, cherry tomatoes, and herbs were transformed into butterflies, snails, and other garden animals. The participants parents reported being shocked by how readily their child consumed raw vegetables, some stating they refused the same vegetables at home when offered on a plate. UHSTL staff developed their entire curriculum around the fact that independent exploration encourages children to try new things. When parents get to be part of activities like this workshop, they get to see the impact of the Little Sprouts program in real time. It might even inspire them to present fresh vegetables to their children in new and exciting ways. 

UHSTL’s Little Sprouts program leads little learners in an integrated agricultural curriculum. The goal is to foster children's interest in fresh food and garden education at a young age. In the school gardens, UHSTL grows both healthy produce and future farmers and food leaders. 

UHSTL will increase 172 preschool students' knowledge of key crops and basic farming topics through hands-on gardening and cooking demonstrations that will occur weekly at each partner school. 2025 will be the first year of year round programming and parent engagement at both schools, including indoor activities to reinforce the outdoor garden lessons.