Mission & Goals

The mission of the Edible Schoolyard is to create and sustain an organic garden and landscape that is wholly integrated into the school’s curriculum, culture, and food program.

ESY involves students in all aspects of farming the garden and preparing, serving, and eating food as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.

Learn more about our guiding principles, objectives, student outcomes, and the connection between ESY and school lunch.

Guiding Principles

The following principles guide the Edible Schoolyard program.

Participatory: Classes in the kitchen and garden model sustainable practices and engage children in hands-on lessons that connect food, health, and the environment.

Integrated: The program is linked to the academic curriculum through math, science, and the humanities.

Shared: ESY creates opportunities for children to share a family-style meal together with teachers and adult volunteers.

Delicious: ESY serves food that is local, organic, and seasonal.

Beautiful: Our program is designed to inspire personal and social responsibility, and to serve as a model for other schools.

Objectives

Students who participate in the Edible Schoolyard program learn about the connection between their everyday food choices and the health of the community, the environment, and themselves. These lessons foster sound nutritional practices, responsible food choices, and environmental stewardship.

We teach students about:

Cycles, seasonality, and change.
Sustainability, relevant to a Berkeley adolescent.
Connectedness to land, school, and community.
Environmental and personal impact of food choices.
Wellness through knowledge of healthy choices—access and empowerment to make them.

As a learning environment, we provide our students with:

A social space where they can engage in positive interactions with adults, role models, and peers.
A safe and beautiful environment that fosters their investment in the natural world.
An opportunity to interact with nature.
Learning experiences that link to and extend classroom curriculum.

The Edible Schoolyard exists as a model to:

Encourage others to create similar programs, share lessons learned, and raise public awareness.
Involve communities in public education.
Promote nature as a context for learning.
Hold a place in education for beauty, innovation, experimentation, and observation.

Student Outcomes

Students leave the Edible Schoolyard with:

A sense of ownership and accomplishment.
A sense of curiosity and wonder.
A sense of place.
An understanding of how food is planted, grown, harvested, and prepared.
A willingness to try new foods.
Life skills, including cooperative work, respect for self and others, active listening, and the ability to make healthy food choices.
Exposure to a wide, seasonal variety of fruits and vegetables.

Students gain an understanding of:

Sustainability at a personal level—how they as individuals impact the environment and how the environment affects them personally.
Seasonality—specific connections between each season and the foods, plants, and activities associated with food—from seed to table.
The connections between school, family, and community.
The rich and diverse agricultural traditions of their student body.
How to use all five senses to create a whole experience.

Teacher Participation

Teacher participation is key to the success of the Edible Schoolyard program. Teachers accompany their students to each garden and kitchen class to ensure that the experiences, lessons, and vocabulary students learn will be readily integrated into the core classroom curriculum.

Involvement with ESY also raises the adult-to-student ratio at King and helps teachers build relationships with students who may not necessarily excel in a classroom setting. Teachers’ participation helps promote cooperation, build community, and increase our understanding of students’ individual needs and skills.

Kitchen and garden instruction, management, and maintenance are handled by ESY staff with expertise in cooking and gardening. Teachers communicate regularly with ESY staff to ensure students’ studies are supported by appropriate garden and kitchen activities.

The Connection to School Lunch

ESY forms an educational triad, enabling students to participate in hands-on garden and kitchen experiences that integrate with their daily classroom lessons. It does not provide school lunch nor does the program aim to grow or prepare daily meals for all students.