Foundation invests over half a million dollars
directly into local schools for nutrition education, academic
learning
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation announced today that
it is awarding 24 schools across the U.S. with a new or refreshed
learning garden as part of the “24 Gardens in 24 Hours in 24
Communities” contest, that was launched in April to celebrate Earth
Month. From a pool of over 3,000 nominations by Sprouts customers,
a three-month process involving interviews and thorough vetting
generated in the selection of the final 24 schools.
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Since 2015, Sprouts has awarded more than
$15 million to organizations focused on school gardening and
nutrition education. Hands-on gardening and cooking experiences are
proven to help children develop healthy eating habits and skills to
carry into adulthood. (Photo: Business Wire)
On Saturday, September 23 an estimated 500 Sprouts team members
across the country will join together to install these learning
spaces, building 24 school gardens in 24 hours. Companywide
volunteer service days have become an annual tradition for Sprouts,
whose team members have donated more than 10,000 service hours over
the last five years, working to bring these programs to life for
kids.
“Sprouts is committed to providing children with hands-on
educational experiences that shape how they think about food. We
believe that our Foundation’s efforts to make these connections
will play a pivotal role for children to develop an understanding
of the importance of healthy eating,” said Nick Konat, president
and chief operating officer of Sprouts. “We are also very excited
for our team members to give back to their local communities on
September 23rd as we build these learning gardens in 24 hours.”
In addition to funding the physical garden spaces, the
Foundation’s donation will also support training for educators at
each school site to learn how to effectively incorporate the garden
into teaching practices across all grade levels. By teaming-up with
KidsGardening, a national nonprofit focused on this work, each of
the 24 schools will become part of a learning community, where
teachers responsible for the garden space will receive ongoing
technical assistance and mentoring for the full school year.
“This program is exciting because we are able to invite our
customers to help us connect with new schools through the
nomination process,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the
Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “These schools represent 24
incredible communities, comprised of teachers and students, that
will now have access to an outdoor garden, where classroom lessons
can be brought to life through hands-on learning, and where
students can experience the magic of watching seeds sprout, and
fresh fruits and vegetables grow. We are glad we can play a role in
making this possible.”
“Sprouts is a true partner who listens and understand what it
takes to operate a successful garden program – and investing in
teacher training and compensation for educators operating their
garden spaces is the key ingredient to building effective and
sustainable school garden programs,” said Em Shipman, executive
director of KidsGardening.
Since its inception in 2015, the Foundation has granted $18M to
more than 400 nonprofit partners focused on advancing children’s
nutrition education and school-based gardening programs. This year
alone, more than 3 million students across the U.S. will benefit
from programs supported by Sprouts.
A list of the contest winning finalists can be found at
sprouts.com/schoolgardenwinners
Winning schools are in 23 states across the U.S. in Sprouts
Farmers Market communities including: Alabama, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland,
Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and
Washington.
Garden Giveaway Winners
Receive:
- $15,000 - $20,000 garden construction grant awarded directly to
the selected school to build a new learning garden or refresh an
existing garden space on campus.
- $5,000 program grant to support nutrition education lessons in
the garden.
- The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation will partner with
each winning school to coordinate a volunteer workday for the
garden build or garden refresh on Saturday, September 23,
2023.
- Ongoing professional development and 1:1 support to sustain
their learning garden program.
To learn more, visit
https://about.sprouts.com/sprouts-foundation/.
About Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation is helping kids grow
healthy through nutrition education and hands-on gardening programs
that bring learning to life. In partnership with nonprofit
organizations, from school gardens to youth cooking programs, we’re
teaching children how to grow and prepare fresh, nutritious foods,
empowering them with the tools to develop lifelong healthy eating
habits. Since 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has
donated more than $18 million to advance nutrition education and
access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and this year alone, over
three million children will be impacted by nutrition education and
garden-based learning programs, funded by Sprouts.
About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Sprouts is the place where goodness grows. True to its
farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience
featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the
store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated
assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven
people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in
wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly
ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free.
Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest
growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in
the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 31,000 team
members and operates approximately 380 stores in 23 states
nationwide. This year Sprouts celebrates its 20th anniversary. To
learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit
about.sprouts.com.
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