Teaching Elementary Age Students about Sustainable Food Production through a Successful Local School–University Student Club Partnership

Public understanding of sustainable food production is poor, and many people are unaware of where their food comes from and the multifaceted nature of the horticulture industry. Research suggests that specific horticultural/agricultural programs in primary schools carried out in partnerships with universities lead to increased understanding of food production and ultimately increased student enrollment in university horticultural science courses. As an outreach program of the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Club at the University of Florida, we developed a combination of lesson plans and workshops for second grade students that focused on sustainable crop production systems with a hands-on component. These second graders were given the opportunity to identify seeds and vegetables, transplant seedlings, observe composting techniques, and learn about nutritive values of fruit and vegetables. Worksheets were also provided to students to gauge knowledge gained during the course of the lessons. Observations suggest that students gained significant knowledge of sustainable food production systems due to the diverse exercises designed for the lessons. Students were able to successfully define sustainability, identify the basic needs of a plant, and provide examples of ways in which horticultural systems can be more sustainable, when previously unable to do so before the lessons. These second grade students expressed great enthusiasm towards gardening, and several students began composting and gardening projects at home. This local school-university student club partnership turned out to be a success in increasing awareness of sustainable food systems and fostering an interest in horticultural production among elementary students. The elementary school teachers expressed strong interest in strengthening this unique partnership in the future. This outreach program also helped recruit members to the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Club and engage the club members in pursuing more opportunities for community educational projects. We are continuing this program, with a propagation workshop and a tour of a local sustainable farm planned. This program will serve as a template for our club to continue their outreach efforts in horticultural sustainability to elementary school children.