Park Place Elementary

RFS Programming Began: 2013

Programs: After School Seed-to-Plate Nutrition™ Education

Children Served: Pre-K - 5^th Grade

S2P Instructor(s): Emily Paul

Team Nutrition Leader: Sarah Hill, CASE After School Coordinator

Park Place Elementary is located in southeast Houston. It is a well-established community composed of multi-ethnic families. Park Place serves over 1,000 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The instructional programs at Park Place include regular education, special education (inclusion, speech therapy, and Life Skills), bilingual education, computer assisted instruction, Gifted and Talented, and Title 1 programs. There is an after school program run by CASE as well as regular tutorials for students with academic needs. Each classroom has a minimum of four computers for direct instruction and learning center reinforcement of skills.

Recipe for Success delivers weekly Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education classes throughout the year to students in Pre-Kindergarten through 5^th grade. Students enjoyed learning about everything from knife skills in the culinary classroom to worms and vermicomposting in the Park Place Recipe Garden. Students loved scavenger hunts to track pest and beneficial insects, making homemade play dough with beet juice, and harvesting turnips for hearty vegetable soup. Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies are a Park Place favorite! The first year of Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ programming was a great success for students, parents, and staff. Park Place and Recipe for Success hope to continue in their partnership to provide exciting nutrition education opportunities to students.

September 2013 - After School Program begins

November 2013 - The Kinkaid School volunteered for a garden beautification day with teachers and staff at Park Place

March 2014 - Students and faculty participate in VegOut!, a city-wide competition to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables

May 2014 - 3rd - 5th grade group participated in an Iron Chef Competition, competing in groups to make the best Baked Veggie Quesadilla. The guest judge for the event, CASE Coordinator, Sarah Hill, was so impressed she asked the students to prepare the quesadillas for their parents for their final CASE Family Dinner as appetizers. Students proudly prepared and served their parents the quesadillas while the winners of the competition were announced.