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Researchers from the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute at CUNY SPH were awarded a grant by Shelburne Farms to conduct the first comprehensive multi-state assessment of Farm to School programs’ influence on student development. The three-year study will examine how participation in Farm to School programs affects young adults’ social-emotional learning, educational choices, and career paths.
Farm to School programs connect K-12 schools with local food systems through locally sourced cafeteria food, hands-on learning experiences in school gardens, cooking lessons, and nutrition education. Despite documented benefits to students’ nutritional knowledge and food choices, a critical gap remains in understanding their impact on participants’ life trajectories, particularly their social-emotional development and academic and career choices.
Institute researchers Nevin Cohen and Katherine Tomaino Fraser will survey 1,000 young adults aged 18-24 across metropolitan areas with widespread Farm to School programming to understand how different levels of program engagement relate to social-emotional learning outcomes, post-secondary education, and employment. The study will examine equity issues by analyzing how participation and outcomes vary across demographics and community characteristics. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study will also conduct 25 in-depth interviews with participants about their Farm to School experiences and perceived impacts on personal development.
Through survey responses and interviews, the research team will examine how meaningful engagement with Farm to School activities influences later life choices and community roles, with particular attention to patterns across racial, socioeconomic and geographic lines. Analysis will control for general school engagement to isolate Farm to School-specific effects and examine how program intensity varies by neighborhood demographics.
The study will generate evidence-based recommendations for program design to maximize long-term benefits, inform evaluation of return on investment, and contribute to broader understanding of how experiential education programs shape students’ life trajectories.
