Upper Elementary

The Edible Garden at AOSR, was created out of the desire of teacher, parents and administrators recognizing the importance of teaching students to grow clean food and care for the earth, the environment and each other. Our Garden was born thanks to the encouragement of Alice Water whom I met at The American Academy of Rome. Alice encouraged our vision and gave us ideas and collaborators actively supporting us in the creation of our Edible Garden. 

AOSR Edible Garden Project Mission Statement

Black Pine Circle School (BPC), an independent K-8 school in Berkeley, California, creates lifelong learners through an inquiry-based Socratic education that places equal emphasis on academics and the arts.

BPC's garden program started in 1997 with the hiring of a dedicated garden and landscape worker who expanded her role (and created the garden program) by collaborating with teachers to bring garden and environmental education to the school's students. She also supported the installation of recycling and composting infrastructure around the school. 

In 2015 - 2016, Happy Tillers Garden Club staff and students collaborated to design, build, construct, and implement an extended school year organic gardening program. An indoor nursery was created to raise the seedlings, which were transplanted in April and May. Every child planted a seed in the spring, so that when they returned in the fall they could witness a physical manifestation of our school community. Produce was donated to the New Trier Township Food Pantry to support the nutrition of local residents.

Since 2009, the Residence at Embassy Bern has conducted programs for children in the Kitchen Garden on the east side of the property. Students learn how foods are harvested, become conscious of the environmental advantages of eating locally grown fresh foods, and are taught the best ways to cook foods in order to preserve their nutritional value.