Food Literacy and healthy eating are the focus of a new program at Greeneville Middle School, thanks to the work of the Tusculum College Center for Civic Advancement, as well as a Youth Service America Sodexo Foundation “Take Hunger Personally” Lead Agency Grant.
The Center for Civic Advancement, as a part of this grant, selected to implement a program that helps bring awareness of healthy eating and food security at Greeneville Middle School.
According to Heather Jennings, program assistant for the Center for Civic Advancement at Tusculum College, food insecurity has led to the community turning towards fatty, inexpensive options.
“Due to unhealthy options being more readily available, more children suffer from obesity and chronic illness, due in part to their diets,” said Jennings. “In an effort to address these issues, we are particularly interested in teaching students how to identify healthy food options and maintain a healthy relationship with food.”
Jennings added that the food literacy program that will be donated to the Greeneville Middle School is based on a PBS documentary film series and includes related curriculum that shows how people are all connected through food. The films address topics such as how one seed could become a meal, food security and the importance of healthy eating.
GMS plans to implement this program with its Cooking and Garden clubs, as well as with a few other teachers. Overall, this program will reach approximately 100 students in its first year.
A copy of the curriculum is also being provided to Rural Resources, which will be implementing the program with their farm camp, as well as show viewings in the community.
Greeneville Middle School Principal Heather Bogemann, second from left, and several GMS students accepted a donation from Tusculum College’s Center for Civic Advancement of a food literacy curriculum unit.