Seth Wilmoth, SEEAG Education Programs Director and Laura O’Malley, SEEAG Agricultural and Nutrition Educator. Courtesy photo.
VENTURA — Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) received a $10,000 “Neighborhood Grant” from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. Sprouts Farmers Market created the foundation in 2015 to inspire, educate and empower individuals, especially children, to live healthier lives.
The neighborhood grants are given to nonprofit organizations that provide nutrition education and healthy food access to kids.
“The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has been proud to partner with SEEAG since 2019,” said Molly Brown, Programs and Communications Specialist with the foundation. “We know that getting kids out to the farm and engaging in hands-on learning is a powerful way to spark their interest in healthy eating and to create a connection with the agricultural community. Through the lessons SEEAG delivers, and the produce kits kids take home, thousands of students each year receive impactful education about where their food comes from, what healthy food can do for their bodies, and how they can incorporate fresh, local produce into their daily meals.”
Since it began in 2008, over 100,000 students have taken part in SEEAG’s agricultural education—all free of charge.
“All of SEEAG’s programs align with the Sprouts Foundation’s goals,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG’s founder and CEO. “We’re honored to be recognized. The grant will go directly towards funding our nutrition presentations which help students learn about the important role locally-grown fruits and vegetables play in their health and well-being.”
For more information about SEEAG and to donate, go to www.SEEAG.org.
SEEAG —Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. SEEAG also puts on Santa Barbara County Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day each year. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.
Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
Founded in 2015, the Foundation’s mission is to end children’s malnutrition through programs that bring fresh, nutritious foods to all communities and that teach children and families how to make healthy food choices that are affordable, equitable and that will last a lifetime. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded $18 million to more than 350 nonprofit agencies in the states where Sprouts operates, including urban farms and agriculture projects, school gardens, family and youth cooking programs, and more. To learn more, visit Sprouts.com/Foundation.