Dive Brief:

• The Idaho Department of Education is giving away a total of $20,000 for districts to create hands-on gardening programs.
• Funded schools can get up to $2,000 to make their vegetable gardens a reality.
• The gardens are meant to help students learn about nutrition and food in an interactive and fun way.

Dive Insight:

In May, a report from the Harvard School of Public Health found that as much as 75% of vegetables and 40% of fruit being served in school cafeteria lunches were being thrown in the trash. While the statistic frustrated policy makers and administrators who viewed the news as a sign that policies requiring schools to serve healthier lunches was wasteful and expensive, many others saw a very obvious solution: Teach students about how to eat healthy. It's not enough to give a child a bunch of carrots, adults must teach students how and why it's important to make healthy choices. In the Houston Independent School District, for example, "Veggie Fest" gives students a chance to experiment and test vegetables and fruits from around the world, including edamame and Asian pears. This new grant from Idaho looks like a great chance for schools to teach food education and ideally inspire healthier lifestyles.