DISCOVER OUR GOOD NATURE
Our Programs
Our Environmental and Agricultural Tech (EAT) enrichment program encompasses the body of Penn’s Civilians' whole food promotion, production, and consumption activities. The activities are designed to foster leadership skills, encourage critical thinking, and promote personal growth among young individuals in our community. To that end, we provide Whole food production activities that include:
- The Pre-Seeding and
- The Pro-seedyore
Whole food consumption activities that include:
- EAT 5 Enrichment/Fruit & Fun
- The Produce Pentathlon
- CSG Food Share
- And our Fare Demonstrations and
Whole food promotion activities that include:
- Our whole food consumption activities and
- The Jessup Wagon
To learn more about these programs, visit the About Us page.
Our Progress
“Every year, the E.A.T. enrichment program engages primary and secondary students in the celebration and preparation of the growing season. Since 2015, in the Steelton-Highspire School District, upwards of 800 students participate in our annual food production process. After the Pandemic, we realized the value of the program needed to be shared and sought to engage other School Districts via friendly competition. Participating school districts can be found in the “who we are” section. As we grow, we will document our developments per year and per site and present the combined achievement at our annual meeting. Please visit the site often for updates and announcements.”
The Community
Even before the supply chain shortages and the astronomical increases in consumer products, food insecurity plagued the Steelton HIghspire School District due to the depressed economic status of the Steelton and Highspire communities. The average Steelton-Highspire family income is $34,000 per year and more than 85% of the student population is classified as economically disadvantaged. By definition, economically disadvantaged populations have higher rates of food insecurity. Steelton and Highspire are also situated in a Food Desert where neither borough has a supermarket, farmer's market, or a grocery store that consistently provides whole or nutritious food. This compounds food insecurity issues and further encourages the District to offer EAT Enrichment to offset some of the ill effects. In areas plagued by food deserts, where access to nutritious produce is scarce -amidst a landscape dominated by gas station convenience stores and fast-food establishments, these programs are pivotal in reshaping the community's food landscape.
#MISSIONPOSSIBLE
