Guahan Sustainable Culture is hosting its first-ever summer program dubbed the Lil' Sprouts Academy. It's geared towards low-income families and middle school students, incoming 6th to 8th graders, enrolled into the Guam Department of Education.

About 25 students will be selected for each session of the program, which will be held at Sagan Kotturan CHamoru in June and July.

GSC co-founder and president Michelle Crisostomo gave KUAM News a preview of the program, which is funded by the Governor's Education Assistance & Youth Empowerment Grant.

"We want to be able to teach our youth where their food comes from and the health and social benefits of growing their own food so that when they grow up they will understand the importance of food security and food sovereignty and hopefully be able to grow their own food for themselves and their families," she explained. "We also are trying to engage them in physical exercise and learning about healthy eating, so I think that would help the kids learn it young because as they get older they are more inclined to practice these healthy lifestyles. So we're going to teach them to grow their own food, how to harvest it, how to prepare certain fruits and vegetables to eat it and do a lot of activities that will engage them in physical exercise, too."

Crisostomo added that GSC is developing an after school program for elementary students next school year.

For more information and to register, visit gusustainable.org/summer, call 671-486-4721, email summer@gusustainable.org, or check out their office at the CHamoru Village on Mondays and Wednesday, from 1-5 p.m.