A program aiming to help promote a love of fresh fruit and vegetables was the backdrop to officially kickoff the Summer Meals program at Dallas ISD. Just in the second week of the program, students in the Summer Sprouts class at Balch Springs Middle School had cooked and sampled a few recipes with fresh items from the school’s garden.
On Tuesday, June 14, students shared fresh Texas peaches and also a simple, low-sugar peach sorbet. Teacher Denesyn Figueroa-Freytes said the class also put an abundance of carrots to use by making carrot cupcakes.
The girls in the Summer Sprouts program will attend Balch Springs Middle next fall, when it becomes the Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs. The school will have a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) throughout its curriculum.
After students presented a couple of the recipes they’ve tried so far, they headed outside to show off the school’s fledgling garden – planted in April and replanted after vandals ripped some of the items out of the ground.
Finally, students and special guests enjoyed lunch courtesy of the Summer Meals program. More than 200 Dallas ISD schools and public facilities across the city are hosting free meals for children and youth 18 years old and younger during the summer.
No registration is required to receive breakfasts and lunches through the program. Find nearby sites through a locator tool here , call 211 or text FOODTX to 877-877 for information.
The meals are provided by Dallas ISD Food and Child Nutrition Services in conjunction with the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.
