The 2024-2025 school year marks an exciting chapter for the Marion Institute’s Grow Education Farm-to-School (Grow FTS) program, as it welcomes five dedicated FoodCorps Service Members to support and grow its impact. These service members, part of the national AmeriCorps team, play a crucial role in communities across the country, partnering with educators and school nutrition leaders providing meaningful food education and experiences that support and celebrate student’s overall well-being.
Through Grow Education, FoodCorps Members work alongside teachers and cafeteria staff to further embed the farm-to-school model into the school’s culture, driving it toward long-term sustainability. Their support helps integrate fresh, locally grown food into school meals and brings garden-based learning to life, ensuring that students have direct experiences with food that inspire healthier choices.
We are incredibly proud of our partnership with FoodCorps and the impact it continues to have. Thanks to this collaboration, Grow FTS now reaches four school districts, encompassing 23 schools. The program delivers hands-on, farm-to-school lessons to more than 1,900 elementary students and has provided culinary training to over 160 school cafeteria staff. These efforts collectively enhance child nutrition and foster a greater understanding of where our food comes from.
Grow FTS emphasizes that our daily food choices make a difference. Our Grow Education team, teachers, and students actively explore the mind-body connection to support overall well-being. By sampling foods they have planted and grown themselves, students engage with new flavors and discover the powerful link between what they eat and how they feel. These hands-on experiences are helping shape a generation that values nutritious food and sustainable practices—one school garden at a time.
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