PHOENIX, AZ - Twenty-four schools across the United States will soon be relishing in the excitement of a new or refreshed learning garden thanks to a fresh-forward strategy implemented by Sprouts Farmers Market. The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation recently launched its “24 Gardens in 24 Hours in 24 Communities” contest in celebration of Earth Month.

“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 23 as we build these learning gardens in 24 hours.”

The final 24 schools were chosen from a pool of over 3,000 nominations by Sprouts customers following a three-month process of interviews and vetting. 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, a press release explained. Through a unique collaboration with KidsGardening, each of the schools will become part of a learning community, where teachers responsible for the garden space will receive ongoing technical assistance and mentoring for the entire school year.

On September 23, roughly 500 team members from Sprouts will come together to install these critical learning spaces.

“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.”

Since its inception in 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has granted $18 million to more than 400 nonprofit partners focused on advancing children’s nutrition education and school-based gardening programs.

For more details on this recent strategy, click here.

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