Learn it, Grow it, Eat It (LGE) is a hands-on education program which empowers teens to take control of their health and to help others do so through: hands-on gardening, nutrition education, outreach, and managing a community farm-stand. The program is aimed at improving the health of young people through nutrition education and improved food access in their schools and community.

LGE currently works with 300 students in 4 high schools in the Morrisania section of the South Bronx. Teens are empowered to teach their communities about the link between personal health, healthy eating and the environment, improving the health of residents in their communities and the environment.

Despite the abundance of food produced and distributed in the United States, millions of Americans do not eat a healthy diet. One consequence: some 30% of Americans are considered obese. Obesity isnt just being overweight, it can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and cancer. In New York City, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions with young people especially hard hit. This is of particular concern as eating habits that are established in teen years tend to carry forward throughout adulthood and are passed along to future generations.

The 2009 interns regularly post pictures to their SeeHere photo sharing account, available here.

For more information on the program, please contact David Saphire at dsaphire@GrowNYC.org or Lenny Librizzi at llibrizzi@GrowNYC.org.