The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation says it has awarded $250,000 in Get Kids Cooking grants to support youth cooking and nutrition education programs at schools.
An estimated 7,000 students at 25 schools will participate in these new programs, with help from Sprouts, according to a news release.
“Hands-on experiences preparing fresh snacks and meals help kids build real skills and a positive connection with healthy eating,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “At school, these lessons also bring science, math and problem-solving to life, making learning more engaging and fun.”
The schools were selected from more than 1,300 nominations submitted by Sprouts Farmers Market customers as part of its Get Kids Cooking contest in January, the release said. Each winning school will receive educational materials and supplies for operating a student cooking program.
Each grant, valued at $10,000, includes a mobile cooking cart, small appliances and kitchen essentials, classroom-friendly recipes, plus gift cards to purchase fresh ingredients at Sprouts, and a stipend for the educator teaching the program, the company said.
“This grant will help energize our culinary science program and give our school the extra boost we need to provide all 450 students on campus with regular cooking experiences throughout the year,” Janet Ankrum, a middle school STEM/exploratory teacher at Catalina Ventura School in Phoenix, said in the release. “It’s a dream come true for our students.”
Sprouts says it has championed school-based gardening and cooking programs since 2015, recognizing the positive impact growing, tasting and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables has in shaping a child’s long-term preferences for healthy eating. An estimated 3 million children will participate in nutrition education programs funded by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation this year, the release said.
