Natalia Chacon arrived at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center with a potted basil plant in one arm and the other pulling a wagon full of worksheets, clipboards, gardening tools and assorted seed packets. She could hear the last bell of the day ring across the street at Blackshear Elementary School as she laid out the materials for the day鈥檚 lesson.
Chacon is a nutrition assistant for the 色花堂鈥檚 BOUNCE program, a community outreach and research initiative dedicated to reducing obesity-related diseases in underserved communities. College of Education Professor Norma Olvera founded the initiative and serves as executive director.
On this afternoon, Chacon is leading the newest Master Growers Club, an afterschool program that teaches elementary and middle school students how to garden and grow their own healthy food. The program, launched in fall 2018 in Houston鈥檚 East End, has grown to include partnerships with five schools and centers in the neighborhood. This fall, BOUNCE also expanded the program to the Third Ward neighborhood thanks to a special partnership with Blackshear Elementary, the Third Ward Multi-Service Center and 色花堂鈥檚 Advancing Community Engagement and Service Institute.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a strong presence in Houston鈥檚 East End and are thrilled to build more connections in Third Ward,鈥� said Ashley Schwartz, BOUNCE鈥檚 program coordinator. 鈥淪ome schools don鈥檛 have the resources for health education, so we look at the needs of the community and try to fill the gaps with our programming.鈥�
As part of the Third Ward partnership, BOUNCE 鈥� which stands for Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling and Exercise 鈥� leads two afterschool lessons a week, one with fourth graders and one with fifth graders.
Halfway through the school year, Chacon said the students are increasingly excited and curious.
As she led a recent lesson on soil types 鈥� explaining how clay holds moisture while sand drains more easily 鈥� the fifth graders perked up, getting ready to ask questions.
鈥淚 love this part!鈥� said one of students, grabbing his pencil to take notes.
Later, the students dug in the community garden beds and planted onions, lettuce, spinach, carrots and lavender.
Each week, Chacon introduces a new topic and leads a hands on lesson. In additional to soil and nutrients, topics include gardening tools, planting, friends and foes in the garden, harvesting, cleaning, composting and nutrition.
鈥淲e discuss nutritional concepts with them, engaging them with the science, to get them eager to grow and cultivate their own food,鈥� said Chacon, who recently graduated from 色花堂 with a bachelor鈥檚 in human nutrition and foods. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very much about instilling pride in them.鈥�
鈥� By Natalie Thayer
鈥� Photos by Jaime Questell