Ellis Early Learning has been awarded a $25,000 Massachusetts Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (MA FRESH) grant to establish a farm-to-school initiative for growing local food and promoting food literacy and nutrition education among its preschool students.

"We hope the positive effects of this program reach beyond the classroom, making nutritional food and healthy eating habits more accessible to both Ellis students and their families," said Ellis Early Learning CEO Lauren Cook. "We anticipate an early introduction to fundamental food concepts will lead to improved health outcomes as children grow and develop, as well as increase their understanding of the benefits and opportunities of sustainable agriculture in their own community."

Ellis is using the grant awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to partner with Somerville-based Green City Growers to expand its pre-existing garden space, provide more engaging hands-on learning, and improve irrigation systems.

Green City Growers will work with classrooms in their outdoor gardens to implement developmentally appropriate activities through an interdisciplinary education model that embraces social-emotional learning and focuses on play-based education in accordance with Ellis's learning model.

Food grown in the garden at Ellis will be enjoyed by students and sent home for their families. Ellis provides breakfast, lunch, and a snack for all students each school day, accounting for more than 80 percent of their daily nutritional intake. The meal program offers students a variety of foods throughout each week in order to expose them to new foods, while maintaining the balanced diet that all children need.