Super Sprowtz Teach East Harlem Kids About Healthy Eating

By Natalie Musumeci August 8, 2011

The vegetable superheroes from Super Sprowtz, accompanied by creator Radha Agrawal and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, stopped by East Harlem's Union Settlement to teach more than 200 local children about nutrition and healthy food choices through an engaging puppet show.

Children from Children's Aid Society doing the Super Power 'S' sign.

Kids from the Children's Aid Society sport the Super Power 'S' sign after the Super Sprowtz show.

On August 4, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer accompanied the stars of the nutritional education series Super Sprowtz at Union Settlement in East Harlem to educate more than 200 children about the importance of healthy eating through an interactive puppet show. Super Sprowtz Take Over El Barrio!

The event was organized by Go Green East Harlem, an initiative of the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, with the goal of eliminating the pattern of harmful environmental conditions that have been affecting East Harlem for decades, while serving as a model for other underserved neighborhoods.

"We've got to get to these children because they are the ones that have the opportunity to transform their life," said Borough President Stringer. "It's all about education and learning what's possible," he added.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer The performance, entitled Super Sprowtz Take Over El Barrio!, featured superhero vegetable characters including Colby Carrot, Brian Broccoli, Suzy Sweatpea, and Erica Eggplant, whose superpowers are rooted in their nutritional composition.

"Our whole concept is to make eating vegetables fun and culturally relevant," said Radha Agrawal, who created Super Sprowtz, a not-for-profit children's education and media company, when she realized that America's youth have become disconnected with where their food is coming from. Agrawal uses exuberant vegetable puppet characters, books, and animation to teach children about healthy eating, sustainability, and fitness. Harvest Home-Union Settlement Market in Harlem

Groups of children from The Children's Aid Society, East Harlem Asthma Center, SCAN (Supportive Children's Advocacy Network), Union Settlement Association, and Yorkville Common Pantry were all enthusiastic to assist the Super Sprowtz in their mission to defeat Pompous Pollution, the Super Sprowtz's archenemy who has been trying to pollute East Harlem.

After the Super Sprowtz thwarted Pompous Pollution, a group of 50 children from The Children's Aid Society participated in the Borough President's Youth Bucks program by visiting the Harvest Home-Union Settlement Market, located at 104th Street and Third Avenue. The children were each given a $2 Youth Buck, a coupon provided by the Manhattan Borough President's Office at no cost, and the children were more than motivated by their favorite Super Sprowtz to load up their shopping bags with fresh fruits and vegetables. A 5-year-old boy from the Children's Aid Society, who used his Youth Buck to purchase carrots at the farmers market, said, "The show was awesome!"

Harvest Home-Union Settlement Market Since the Youth Bucks program was established in 2009, more than 2,500 children from East Harlem have participated. This fall, Youth Bucks and Super Sprowtz will bring their nutritional education to Washington Heights and Inwood.