Evaluation of Short-Term Outputs and Outcomes of the Teens for Food Justice After-School Program

By educating and empowering youth, Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ), powered by Students for Service, brings food equity to urban communities where good nutrition and healthy food access are significant challenges. In TFFJ’s unique after-school program, students gain expertise in food justice advocacy, health and nutrition, and cutting-edge urban agricultural technology to build a grassroots movement for health and food equity in their own schools and communities. TFFJ engaged a Capstone team to evaluate their current program in terms of behavioral change, educational outcomes, and health implications for students and their families. The team conducted an in-depth literature review in the areas of food justice, advocacy, and the effects of after-school programs on low-income neighborhoods. The team also analyzed short-term outputs and outcomes collected from focus groups, surveys, and interviews with different stakeholders in the school community. The team focused its recommendations on long-term strategies of systematic data collection, as well as the analysis and refinement of the outcome indicators needed for the success of the program.