The Children’s Healthy Living Food Systems Extension and Outreach (CHL FSEO) Pilot Projects were selected for funding in September 2023. Projects were selected by local advisory committees based on their ability to engage and empower communities to influence the food system to support the health of young children in the US Affiliated Pacific. In today’s feature, we are happy to introduce the selected project from Guam.
Jurisdiction: Guam
Project Title: GSC Lil Sprouts Academy Healthy Futures Afterschool Program
Organization: Guahan Sustainable Culture (GSC)
GSC has conducted Li’l Sprouts Academy (LSA) since 2022 in summer and afterschool programs where students learn about food security, gardening skills, and incorporating local foods into diets. The proposed project is an extension of GSC’s overall mission, with the added element of measuring the development of children and family practices of incorporation of local foods into their 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.
Through this project, GSC will implement an after school hands-on educational program to improve knowledge about local foods, basic gardening, and accessing and preparing local healthy foods. The project aims 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 will provide access to local produce via a produce bag program among participating children and families.
The project will be 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 and family diets. GSC will also work to document and identify areas of strengths and improvement in the implementation of this project. Such activities will strengthen GSC’s capacity to expand and build on the successes of this project to further improve nutrition education and food security in Guam.
Contact information: Email the CHL FSEO at chlfseo@hawaii.edu.
Youth participating in GSC’s Lil Sprouts Academy during Summer 2023. (photos provided by GSC)