The Preschool at Clearwater Elementary West School in Clearwater, Kansas hopes to gain more knowledge and understanding in taking the next big steps in building a greenhouse for their school district to enjoy, learn, and use for years to come. Agricultural Literacy is a strong focus of the collaborative activities between high school and elementary students in Clearwater schools.  Monthly activities are conducted to teach elementary students about where their food comes from and develop a deeper understanding of the agriculture within our community.  

These two Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Sponsoring Organizations oversee the CACFP in child care homes in Kansas. Between the two organizations they reach 3,400 children. These organizations will include input from Kansas childcare providers throughout the year-long action planning process and hope to create long term sustainable connections for childcare providers in their state by cultivating community and childcare in the areas of the "3 C's." 

Serving almost 200 children through their early childhood classrooms in Coffeyville, Kansas,  they know nutrition is foundational all they work they do and are excited to learn more and continue efforts in serving fresh, healthy, and delicious meals to their students and staff.  They are excited to find ways to engage their community in the center as they focus on healthy nutrition education as its related to developing the whole child. They hope to have an onsite garden for their students to experience the benefits and help manage.

Located in Farmington, Little Learners Spectrum Center, Inc. serves nearly 100 students daily. By adopting principles from the Institute, Reggio Emilia schools will work to enhance their commitment to community involvement, interdisciplinary learning, and sustainability. This will align with their overarching mission to create a nurturing and empowering educational environment for children.  

Located in Fremont, Bergan has a total enrollment of 45 children. The team hopes to gain more knowledge on bringing the farm to the classroom and not just the cafeteria. As a site, they strive to help their students understand where the food they eat comes from and what it takes to get it to their plate. They are hoping to connect to their community and benefit the families and neighborhoods in which the students live, through their work in the Institute.

Serving 54 children in Fremont, Fremont Children’s Academy hopes to gain more knowledge, resources, and experience to be successful in growing some of their own food. They also seek to expand their “Fresh Foods Promise” to include more locally sourced produce.

In the small community of Battle Creek, St. John's serves many children with an enrollment of 135 students. The team wants to be more intentional connecting the students' learning to their community. And they have a great place to start, their community garden. They are also excited to have their students be active participants in producing and preparing meals and learning more about where and how their food grows.

A bustling site in Lincoln, Educare provides care to over 165 children every single day. The team is excited to have the opportunity to give students access to food, nutrition, and garden-based experiences that help them explore the connection to their own lives and the community around them. They hope to effectively and consistently integrate gardening and nutrition education into their lesson planning process. 

Ruth Staples serves 38 children and is located in Lincoln on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) East Campus. They seek to make stronger connections to UNL Food/Dining Service (cafeteria) and the families in their community to create opportunities for children to cook with and serve the food they're growing. They would also like to establish sustainable food practices (compost, waste, and reduction).