RCC Receives $25,000 Grant To Promote Healthy Eating Habits
Dec 7, 2015Rockingham Community College will use a $25,000 subgrant from MDC, Inc. to explore the connections between local food production, healthy lifestyles, and nutrition through the creation of an edible greenhouse, field trips, and classroom experiences.
The subgrant to RCC is made possible through a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust to MDC, Inc. to support the Healthy Places NC (HPNC) initiative. The initiative was developed to support community college health program engagement processes in HPNC counties.
By collaborating with the Rockingham County Partnership for Children (RCPC), the college aims to provide hands‐on, opportunities for children and their parents to taste locally‐grown food, learn to plan menus, and develop cooking skills. Health and wellness workshops will be offered as part of the project.
“Partnering with the Partnership for Children made sense, explained RCC President Dr. Mark Kinlaw. “We will be able to work with an organization who seeks opportunities to work with community entities to respond to the needs of children and families.”
RCC faculty and students in the Early Childhood Education and Horticulture programs will lead workshops and tours of the edible greenhouse. Early Childhood students will conduct learning activities with the children, their families, and RCC faculty and staff. The edible greenhouse represents an opportunity to provide year-round space for vegetable production and sustainability demonstrations with water cycles, composting, recycling, and energy use. The greenhouse will be labeled by horticulture students with stations highlighting information on sustainability, food resources, and other interesting facts.
Research regarding the connections between food, behavior, and family relationships suggests that parental guidance to children is important with respect to eating healthy and making wise choices regarding lifestyles. Bringing families to the table and engaging them is a focus of this project.
