“The garden is my favorite place in
the world”
– Fourth grader at P.S. 216
Providing an Incredible, Edible Education
In our two Demonstration Schools in East Harlem and Gravesend, Brooklyn, every student experiences an empowering, inspiring education in hands-on garden and kitchen classes as part of the regular school day. Our kids go to kitchen class just like they go to math.
In the Cafeteria
With regular tastings of food from the school lunch line, we encourage students to explore new flavors. Older students are trained as “Salad Bar Rangers,” helping kindergarteners to reach fresh selections and choose healthier options. We also work with partner organizations to include more fruit, vegetables, and scratch-cooked dishes in school meals.
Growing Healthier Communities
Along with offering school day classes, our Demonstration School staff engages families and communities to provide access to fresh produce and encourage healthy eating habits beyond the school environment:
- Free evening cooking workshops
- Weekend community days, when our gardens and kitchens are open to the public
- Weekly low-cost farmstand, accepting EBT/SNAP benefits
- Student-organized tastings of recipes using our farmstand produce
Sowing Seeds for a Healthier City
Demonstration Schools also serve as our main Professional Development locations, centers of excellence where teachers from across the city spend time in our gardens, cook in our kitchens, and learn what they need to know to bring edible education to their own schools.