Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program

Background
The Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program aims to increase the knowledge of agricultural science and improve the nutritional health of children. The program’s goal is to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children but also to dramatically improve their quality.

Grant Details
The Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP) supports projects that bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems. The program aims to improve the nutritional health of children by complementing efforts of farm-to-school programs, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. It also encourages applications that engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities to address current and future challenges.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations; colleges and universities; university research foundations; other research institutions and organizations; Federal agencies; national laboratories; private organizations; non-profit organizations; foundations or corporations; individuals; or any group consisting of two or more entities described herein. Applicants must demonstrate experience in community food work, job training, business development activities, curriculum development for food-related school activities in low-income communities, efforts to reduce food insecurity in the community, including food distribution, improving access to services or coordinating school services and programs. They must also show evidence of existing community support and engagement with school districts and agricultural producers via no less than three letters of support.

Period of Performance
The grant duration is up to 2 years (24 months).

Grant Value
The anticipated funding available for the Food and Agriculture Service-Learning Program (FASLP) in FY 2022 is approximately $1,920,000 and FY 2023 is approximately $1,920,000. The maximum award amount is $225,000.

Place of Performance
Projects must involve underserved rural and urban communities and facilitate a connection between elementary schools and secondary schools with agricultural producers in the local and regional area.