The Edible Schoolyard (ESY) consists of a thriving one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, a public school for grades 6, 7, and 8, in Berkeley, California.
Overview
Each student at King Middle School participates in the Edible Schoolyard. Garden classes introduce them to the origins of food, plant life cycles, community values, and the pleasures of work, while kitchen classes allow them to prepare and eat delicious, nutritious, seasonal dishes made from produce they have grown in the garden.
With the completion of the dining commons, a new lunchroom for the school, the Foundation will create opportunities for students to participate in cooking and to share lunch with adults and peers, connecting their garden and kitchen experience with the lunchtime meal.
Impact
Since 1996, over 3,000 students have graduated from the Edible Schoolyard with the kinds of skills and knowledge they need to make healthy lifelong choices about what they eat.
The Edible Schoolyard hosts more than 1,000 national and international visitors each year, from educators and health professionals to community advocates and legislators. It has inspired and encouraged several hundred kitchen and garden programs across the country.
Support
We seek funds for the ongoing operation of the Edible Schoolyard through private donations and foundation grants. This support allows us to provide hundreds of students with the knowledge they need for a lifetime of healthy choices. Learn how you can help.
To see a video of the Edible Schoolyard, created by Consumer Health Interactive, click here.
Visit the Edible Schoolyard web site >