Kids Growing with Grains: Connecting Agriculture, Nutrition, and Environmental Literacy

Abstract

Kids Growing with Grains is a school-based agricultural education program that improves youths’ conceptual understanding of how agriculture is linked to nutrition, the environment, and human health. University of Maryland Extension Educators developed the program’s hands-on activities, which focus on grain science, grains and the environment, grains and animals, and grain nutrition. The program is traditionally implemented through a station-based field trip experience lasting 4 hours in length. The program has been evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that includes qualitative and quantitative data collected from both teachers and students. Evaluation results from the past 2 years indicate the program is achieving its learning objectives. The program is designed to be easily replicated by other Extension programs throughout the country in a variety of formal or non-formal settings.

Keywords

• agricultural literacy
• nutrition literacy
• environmental literacy
• field trips