C.1.a: Overview of the Plan: This project will proceed in three iterative phases: Development, Dissemination and Evaluation. Development of a) curriculum, b) virtual garden and c) pedagogical agent will proceed in parallel, and be integrated during testing and evaluation. A participatory research group comprised of key community members, teachers, clinicians, education experts, 8-11 year old youth and their parents will be formed to provide iterative rounds of input and evaluation throughout the development of Virtual Sprouts. This participatory research group will provide input through focus groups, beta testing, idea-building and advisement throughout the development of Virtual Sprouts. We have successfully used this model in previous health and intervention studies. The participatory research group is composed of about 20 diverse members so as not to tax individual members with study needs and to ensure diverse input. Sub-groups of the larger participatory research group are formed for specific tasks, depending on research needs and group interest. The Virtual Sprouts Game will be developed around a virtual pedagogical agent, who will guide the player through the game using cognitive and affective learning principles. The Virtual Environment will be a game system developed using deep narrative and dramatic elements. Both the pedagogical agent and game environment will be extensively and iteratively tested with members of our participatory research group during development. The Virtual Sprouts game will then be introduced into three of the USC Family of Schools Elementary schools, C.1.b: Curriculum Development: During the first year of this grant, we will work on developing and focus group testing the nutrition and gardening curriculum. Curriculum will be tested iterative through focus groups and beta testing with members of the participatory research group. The gardening and nutrition program will not only teach children about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables but children will learn additional skills in math, science, and history. The program will include lessons relating to culture, including growing crops that have cultural significance such as nopales, beans, corn and squash (the latter three crops are historically referred to as "the three sisters"). Gardening provides an ideal vehicle for teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics such as how plants grow and how gardens can be managed in an environmentally sound manner (science including biology, earth sciences, agriculture, and the study of weather and climate), how to make good nutrition choices with the produce they harvest (nutrition sciences, health behavior). Furthermore, thinking about planting, harvesting, and climate involves a great deal of math and engineering. The web-based interactive nature of the Virtual Sprouts game will introduce children to new uses for advanced technologies.