Little Sprouts Early Childhood Garden Program
Our longest-standing educational program, Little Sprouts Early Childhood Garden Education, pairs farm management with a hands-on weekly gardening program for Pre-K students. In 2016, Little Sprouts began in partnership with Flance Early Learning Center located in the Carr Square neighborhood of North St. Louis. In 2022, we added Guardian Angel Child Development Center to the program.
In addition to managing the school gardens, we provide a garden curriculum focused on age-appropriate, nature-based learning. These lessons help children connect with their food, nature, and their bodies. Each activity reflects and reinforces skills learned in the traditional classroom, such as fine motor skills development, language acquisition, and shape and color identification. Produce grown in the garden is used in cooking demonstrations and taste tests during garden classes. The remaining produce is provided to the school cafeteria or distributed to families.
In 2022, 76 students took part in the hands-on learning, with over 200 total children and their families having access to the garden space and produce outside of UHSTL’s weekly curriculum. In 2023, at least 125 students will be engaged through the weekly curriculum.
You can support our Little Sprouts program by making a contribution through our donation portal or by purchasing supplies from our Amazon Wishlist.