Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Poor dietary quality, and low fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in particular, is an established risk factor for many chronic diseases; current consumption among children is alarmingly inadequate. Engaging children through school and afterschool settings is a viable strategy to make positive changes, but for transformational and sustainable impact, messaging must also reach families, teachers, retail environments, and beyond. Grady's Garden includes three core components: healthy food products, animated cartoon episodes that chronicle the lives of diverse children who create a garden in their urban neighborhood, and episode-tailored Experiential Learning Extensions (ELEs) that include hands-on activities such as recipes, tastings, worksheets, and physical activity. Two episodes with ELEs have been pilot-tested, demonstrating promising results. The long-term goal of the Grady's Garden Project is to translate these culturally relevant 'edutainment' approaches into digital delivery format [web and mobile application ('app') platforms] to facilitate widespread (national/global) adoption that will ultimately improve children's FV intake and diet quality; physical activity behaviors; and social-emotional wellness. In this project, we will: 1) operationalize existing Grady's Garden content into digital platforms for four user groups: caregivers/parents, teachers, staff, and children, and conduct initial user testing; 2) produce two additional Grady's Garden episodes with ELEs that will be built into the digital platform; 3) field-test the four curriculum modules in school and afterschool settings; and 4) analyze and apply user data and feedback to inform modifications including push notifications to optimize user engagement. Phase I aims to demonstrate technical feasibility of these platforms and tools, poising the project for a Phase II application to commercialize the program.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
40%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The Grady's Garden project will use culturally relevant animation 'edutainment' approaches translated into innovative, multi-user group app and web platforms with the goal of improving nutrition knowledge, healthy eating behaviors, social-emotional learning, household food security, and health and well-being among underserved, at-risk children and their familiesObjective 1: Develop the Grady's Garden (GG) App (GG-App) "pilot" and web platforms from existing Module 1 and 2 edutainment and Experiential Learning Extensions (ELE) content.Objective 2: Test the GG-App and the mirrored parallel website content with users from four user groups; children, teachers/educators, parents/caregivers, and community-based organization staff, and use. feedback to refine the GG-App and website.Objective 3: In collaboration with our community and school stakeholders as well as input from our gardening expert, children, and families, develop Modules 3 and 4 episodes and ELEs.Objective 4: Integrate Modules 3 and 4 into the GG-App and website, using key findings from Module 1 and 2 testing phase.Objective 5: Test GG-App in field settings, e.g., Boys & Girls Club and elementary school, gathering qualitative and quantitative data from all user groups Of note, this objective will include evaluation of current business model assumptions such as willingness to pay and related tiered functionality, margin compression based scalability, and resulting profitability expansion.Objective 6: Analyze data and prepare Phase II SBIR application.
Project Methods
Programmatic/intervention approach. The Grady's Garden Project seeks to improve the health of kids by translating and expanding its portfolio of tailored edutainment content (Grady's Garden animation content and educational materials, ELEs) into an innovative mobile app (GG-App) and web-based platform that improves child physical and social-emotional health. Grady's Garden includes an animated children's cartoon that chronicles the lives of six minority, low-income children who create a garden in their urban neighborhood to provide vegetables to their friends, families, and community. Throughout the episodes, Grady and his friends (Ofelia, Alma, Jamal, Nichelle, Angel, and Ms. Contreras) transform a neighborhood, catalyzing a culture of health, engagement, nutrition security, teamwork, and active living. Grady's Garden episodes provide children with a cumulative understanding of how a garden provides access to self-grown food that nourishes them and their communities. In concert with educational materials, the shows aim to encourage children (and friends and families) to grow their own produce or participate in community gardens, thereby improving food access, sovereignty, and security; prepare more healthy meals and snacks; and engage in more physical activity and time spent in nature via gardening and other activities. TheGG-Appand web platforms include user profiles intended for children, teachers/educators, parents/caregivers, and staff of community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and YMCA. App development will enable expanded reach and adoption by facilitating distance learning and program implementation. We expectGrady's Garden to be national, and international, in scope.Output EvaluationObjective 1 Output: Modules 1 and 2 are translated into mobile app and web platforms.Objective 2 Output: Module 1 and 2 app and web platform feedback and data received and analyzed from user groups.Objective 3 Output: Modules 3 and 4, plus ELEs, developed.Objective 4 Output: Modules 3 and 4 are available in app and web platforms with ELEs.Objective 5 Output: Gather and analyze user-group GG-App experience qualitative and quantitative data as well as business model data with community-based organizations, schools, and caregivers/parents; children: only GG-App data.Objective 6 Output: Synthesize user experience reports; business model and costs plan refinements; Phase II SBIR application drafted.