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Veggie U FAQ
1.Who are we? Veggie U is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization located at the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio.
2. What is our mission? The mission of Veggie U is to promote the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle. Veggie U is dedicated to the creation and distribution of curricula nationally, with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture.
3. What do we DO? Veggie U promotes nutritional education for children by providing fourth grade classrooms with a curriculum and interactive indoor "miniature farm" kit known as the Earth to TableTM science program. The program introduces children to sustainable agricultural practices by providing a seed-to-planting-to-harvest experience.4 .What is the history of Veggie U? In the Spring of 2003, and for the following 18 months, a group of dedicated educators and nutritionists donated their time and talents to create a curriculum which meets the benchmarks fpr fourth grade state and national science standards.
In the Fall and Spring of the 2004 - 2005 school year, 15 classrooms in Erie County piloted the new curriculum to great reviews from teachers and students alike. With financial help from The Chef's GardenTM, Birds Eye Foods, the Fred J. Hiegel Foundation and Veggie U Members and Sponsors, the list of classrooms has continued to grow. The Earth to TableTM program has been featured in Time for Kids, Midwest Living, INC Magazine, and the New York Times. Veggie U has placed over 1800 classroom kits across 26 states.
5. What is the Veggie U Earth to TableTM curriculum and kit? The curriculum includes studies of plant anatomy, planting soil, composting and nutrition with hands on activities such as tasting a wide variety of unusual vegetables, construction of a worm farm, seed planting complete with flats, soil and grow lights, all which help to make learning fun.
Veggie U provides a kit to each fourth grade classroom with an academic curriculum binder and classroom DVD. Also included is a grow light, two root viewers, a variety of soils and seed types, propagation flats, and worm farm components. A fresh box of unique sample vegetables is shipped from The Chef.s GardenTM to each class at the beginning of the program along with a dozen live worms for the worm farm. The cost of hosting the Veggie U program in the classroom is $450. The cost to sustain the Veggie U program after the first year is $225 per year. If you or your group would like to sponsor your local school or classroom please contact us.
6. What has Veggie U accomplished? Fourth grade students, teachers, parents and siblings are the beneficiaries of the Veggie U program. We anticipate that for each child reached in the fourth grade or special needs classroom setting, at least 12 other people will be reached. With an average of 28 students per classroom, 1800 classrooms reached and an average of 12 contacts through each student, it is estimated that Veggie U has reached about 604,800 people, promoting its mission of well-being through a healthy lifestyle.
7. What is next for Veggie U?
- Continued expansion of the Veggie U curriculum into fourth grade and special needs classrooms nationally, and fundraising to cover the costs.
- Creation of curriculum for children with Autism. There is a lack of educational opportunities and curriculum for children and young adults with moderate to severe stage autism. Veggie U has identified a need and strategy to pursue an autism curriculum to fill this void.
8. How can you help? Veggie U is funded through private donations and corporate sponsorships. Veggie U also has a very supportive and dynamic membership base. Membership fees, generous donations and participation in fundraising functions such as dinners and auctions help cover the operational and overhead costs of placing the kits. To find out more, click here.