GREEN THUMB CLUB – URBAN GARDENING AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Extension Education
Sarah DeBour
ISU Extension and Outreach
Mason City
Abstract
According to the Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Information and Analysis, 59% of Mason City youth at Lincoln Intermediate School are on free/reduced lunch. Green Thumb Club is an afterschool program that teaches youth about the development of their food. The Cerro Gordo County Extension and Outreach office partnered with Lincoln Intermediate School in Mason City to offer an after school urban gardening program. Through Green Thumb Club, youth learned the basics of gardening and where their food comes from. The club meets weekly after school and is completely free for all participants. This allows members of the under-represented groups to attend and feel included. Each semester we offer Green Thumb Club, we see an increase in the number of participants. From fall of 2020 to spring of 2021, we saw a 54.5% increase in participant numbers. The student evaluation indicated that 95% of students were more interested in STEM (plant science specifically) after attending Green Thumb Club. Of those students, 97.5% of them expressed interest in attending Green Thumb Club again during the school year. Green Thumb Club is an essential addition to Lincoln Intermediate School that allows youth to learn about gardening and food security through hands on, STEM lessons. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach intends on continuing the Green Thumb Club program in the future, with the desire to educate all Lincoln Intermediate youth about food security.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Maya Rowe, Sarah DeBour
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Rowe, M. County Youth Coordinator, Cerro Gordo County Iowa State Univeristy Extension & Outreach, Iowa, 50401
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DeBour, S. Director, Cerro Gordo County Iowa State University Extension, Iowa, 50401