Our Work

Our Mission

The mission of the Edible Schoolyard Project is to build and share a food curriculum for all schools. We envision this “edible education” as part of the core curriculum of every school in the country. If we can provide every student with a free nutritious lunch and interactive experiences in the classroom, kitchen, and garden, edible education has the power to transform the health and values of every child in America.

 

To accomplish our mission online

  • We map the grassroots movement of edible education programs nationwide, to demonstrate their impact and universality.
  • We gather and share the lessons and best practices of school gardens, kitchens, and lunch programs worldwide.
  • We document lesson development and programming from 15 years of Edible Schoolyards at:
 

 To accomplish our mission on the ground

  • We train educators from around the world at the Edible Schoolyard Academy, an annual hands-on workshop which teaches the principals and practical knowledge of edible education.
  • We encourage and support research to evaluate the effectiveness of edible education.
  • We produce college-level programs to further advance the principles of edible education
  • We sustain the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School (MLK) in Berkeley, California , where edible education is integrated into the school’s academic curriculum and meal program.
  • We involve the families of MLK students in after-school programming, extending homeward, lessons learned in the ESY garden and kitchen.  

 

What is an "edible education"?

An "edible education",  like physical education, is a program of educational reform that would transform the health of our children and public school system simultaneously. Five principals inform our understanding of what completes an edible education.
 
Hands-on, Interactive Experiences
Children learn by doing. When growing and preparing food is part of the academic day, it enlivens every subject, from reading and writing to science and art. Students engaged in the work of measuring vegetable beds and counting beans are learning math by osmosis, effortlessly absorbing their lessons.
 
Free Lunch for Every Child
By feeding every child in public school for free, we redress the social inequality of both the hunger and resulting achievement gap. Good food then becomes a right and not a privilege.
 
School Lunch Supports Organic, Local Farms
When local, organic farms supply a school lunch program, children come to know their community and their farmers, and are taught where their food comes from.
 
Cafeteria as Classroom
The lunch hour is transformed from an afterthought to an opportunity to enrich the curriculum. Teachers and cooks alike use the daily meal as a tool to nourish students’ minds as well as their bodies.
 
Beauty is The Language of Care
A beautiful environment—where careful thought has gone into everything from the garden paths to the plates on the tables—communicates to children that we care about them, and that they are valued. 
 

 

Annual Reports



Our annual reports provide details of our program work and a full list of our supporters. Download our most recent annual reports in PDF format below, or call us to request a copy in the mail, at 510.843.3811.
 

 

Financial Statements and 990 Tax Filings

 

See Also