Effects of a School-Based Garden Program on Academic Performance: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (TX Sprouts)
Landry M., Asigbee F., Vandyousefi S., Ghaddar R., Davis J.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 123(3):637-643
Urban Farm DB summary
A cluster randomized controlled trial in mostly low-income, Hispanic Texas elementary schools testing whether the TX Sprouts garden, nutrition and cooking intervention affected academic performance. It found the program did not harm academic outcomes, showing that garden-based food education can be integrated into instructional time without lowering achievement.
Key points
- 1The TX Sprouts program was an intervention involving garden, nutrition, and cooking education implemented in low-income, Hispanic elementary schools in Texas.
- 2The study was conducted as a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess its impact on academic performance.
- 3Participation in the program did not negatively impact students' academic achievement.
- 4Garden-based food education can be integrated into school curricula without compromising academic performance.
Abstract and stored text
AI-generated summaryThis study investigated the impact of the TX Sprouts school-based garden program on academic performance among elementary school students. Conducted as a cluster randomized controlled trial in predominantly low-income, Hispanic schools in Texas, the intervention included garden, nutrition, and cooking education. The primary objective was to determine if integrating such a program into instructional time would affect academic outcomes. Findings indicated that participation in the TX Sprouts program did not negatively impact students' academic achievement. This suggests that garden-based food education can be effectively incorporated into school curricula without compromising academic performance.
This is an AI synthesis from the stored record, not the original abstract. Check the original before quoting.
Why it matters for urban farming
This research is highly relevant for citizen-driven urban farming as it demonstrates that integrating garden-based food education into school curricula does not negatively affect academic performance. This finding can encourage schools and communities to adopt urban farming initiatives as part of educational programs, fostering a new generation interested in food production and sustainability. It validates the educational benefits of hands-on gardening, showing that such activities can complement, rather than detract from, traditional learning, thereby promoting broader community engagement with urban agriculture.