Urban Harvest's After School Program

Sweet potatoes are among the best teachers for schoolchildren who think food begins in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. Youngsters plant the potatoes in spring and return to harvest them when school starts in fall, while learning that soil, sun, rain, and time grow good things to eat.

Carol Burton and Michael Godoy oversee Urban Harvest’s After School Program in 19 Houston schools. More than just digging in the dirt, garden activities combine math, science, nutrition, exercise, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Kids and parents love it.

“At the farmers market, a parent came up to me and said, ‘I thought this was a nothing program, but it has been the best thing for my child. It’s the only thing she wants to talk about when she gets home,’ ” Carol says.

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