Schoolyard gardens are a great way to teach kids about nutrition and science. Plus, teaching kids how to grow their own food can inspire them to start their own home gardens thereby increasing the health of their whole family.
Parkway Partners has developed gardens at these schools:
- Andrew Wilson Charter
- Benjamin Franklin High
- Edward Hynes Charter
- The International School of Louisiana
- J.W. Johnson School
- Langston Hughes Charter
- Lusher Charter
- Lusher Charter High
- Martin Luther King
- McDonogh 15 School for Creative Arts
To start a garden at your school, please contact Parkway Partners.
Edible Schoolyard
The Edible Schoolyard encompasses garden and kitchen classroom settings and provides a hands-on environment for students in which to apply skills learned in traditional math, science, and humanities classes. Its mission is to involve students in all aspects of farming the garden and preparing, serving, and eating food as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.edibleschoolyard.org
The first Edible Schoolyard was founded in 1995 in a vacant lot at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, in Berkeley. It started as the brainchild of Alice Waters, owner of the renowned restaurant Chez Panisse, located just a few blocks from the school. Since its founding, ESY has been the primary project supported by the Chez Panisse Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by Waters to celebrate the 25th birthday of Chez Panisse. The Foundation continues to play an important role in the operations of ESY. The Foundation and ESY are funded primarily through grants and donations.wikipedia
Edible Schoolyard @ Samuel J. Green Charter School
After Katrina, Waters was looking for a way to help New Orleans, and Recasner jumped at the chance to bring the second “Edible Schoolyard” to Samuel J. Green Charter School. The New Orleans campus planted a garden in 2006, with support from the Chez Panisse Foundation, among others. Today, the school’s sideyard is full of tomatoes, strawberries and herbs. There is an outdoor classroom and an old girls’ locker room was converted into an indoor kitchen.la times
Nearly all of the students are African American, and the principal believes that the Edible Schoolyard idea, while modest, is much needed in the black community, where poor eating habits often result in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and tooth decay. Hopefully, students will pass along new, good habits to their parents.la times
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