Northeast Elementary School

Northeast Elementary School has a unique opportunity to encourage and educate both children and their families in promoting healthy eating habits, thereby reducing the rate of obesity and overweight children. Nutritional education and wellness activities will be incorporated into interactive and fun classroom and after school programs. These might include cooking classes, where children learn to make smoothies, soups and simple meals. Additionally, exercise clubs will be incorporated into before, during and after school programs.

Children in the second and third grades will take a survey prior to their experience with the garden to determine base line knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating. Then they will participate in planting, identifying how plants grow, what is necessary for sustaining growth and the nutrients contained in these foods. They will also become aware of what foods are necessary to fuel their bodies. After the growing cycle has been completed, they will take a post test to determine their knowledge at that point.