An all time favorite resource is the Edible Schoolyard in New York where  children learn hands on about food, gardening and nutrition through a seed-to-education curriculum. These programs are taught in demonstration classrooms to elementary school children in Brooklyn and Harlem and eventually nationwide. It is the vision of Alice Waters from Berkeley California the notable food entrepreneur, restaurant owner of Chez Panisse and pioneer of this Slow Food movement and edible education mission.

“Every child needs to learn how to cook, needs to learn how to cultivate a garden, plant seeds, learn about sustainability, be taken to a garden, and be able to put hands in the Earth.”
— Alice Waters, Founder of the Edible Schoolyard program

This is amazing program that engages students with a combined program of cooking and education that provides knowledge and skills needed to make healthy food choices and habits. Designed as a  project based learning program, students are encouraged to learn while touching, learn while tasting and learn while making food with health conscience outcomes. 

A field trip to PS 216 in Brooklyn late last summer 2015, was a time to learn, be inspired and support this community centered program. At the open house I was amazed by the culinary classrooms architectural design by Work AC Architects. It is  a stunning building that provided the classroom, offices and greenhouse for the students and faculty. The outside classroom included a modest half acre garden complete with container gardens and tools of the trade that were all enthusiastically supported by the friendly, knowledgable staff that was free to answer any question about gardening, soil, lesson plans and chickens.