The Emeril Lagasse Foundation is coming to Baltimore!
Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School will be the newest school partner for Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen, implementing the foundation’s signature program.
Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen is a national education program that “integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools to create interactive learning environments centered on food,” reads the press release announcing the partnership.
“As we continue to bring our signature program to schools across the country, we are encouraged by the growing numbers of youth we are reaching,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse in a statement. “Preparing a meal, understanding where it comes from, and sharing it with others is an experience that grounds and connects us all. So far, we’re impacting more than 5,000 youth annually through this program.”
Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School is a Title I school, which means it’s located in an area with high population density and many households living beneath the poverty line. The school accepts students in grades Pre-K3 through 8. It opened in 2008 with the goal to build a diverse and joyful learning community and serves 576 students from 26 different zip codes across Baltimore City.
The school has a “Seed to Table” program that gives students hands-on learning experience with gardening, cooking, nutrition, ecology, and environmental stewardship. This partnership with the Emeril Lagasse Foundation will help expand the number of students benefiting from these lessons and skills.
“School partners awarded an Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen grant receive a $500,000 capital and program grant, the Foundation’s unique curriculum, over 100 of Chef Emeril’s recipes modified for the classroom, gardening and cooking education best practices, necessary teaching materials including small-ware cooking equipment for student cooking classes, food supplies for nutrition-focused cooking lessons, and robust teacher training,” reads the press release.
The grant will help the school upgrade the its garden and renovate kitchen facilities, in addition to hiring another full-time educator to help achieve these goals. Classroom teachers will make use of the upgraded kitchen and garden by integrating them into their lessons and into the school-wide academic curriculum.
Educators overwhelmingly agree on the myriad benefits of this program on students in measurable ways. 97% of teachers see improved student knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating choices, 88% report overall improved academic performance, 97% mark “improved confidence, cooperation, creativity, and respect by students.” 94% of teachers say the program has given the students opportunities to connect with family and their communities over food.
Last year, Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen provided more than 6,000 lessons on cooking, gardening, and nutrition to elementary and middle school students nationwide. The six existing partner school sites have held more than 150 community and family events, benefiting more than 8,000 parents, teachers, and families.
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s mission is to inspire, mentor, and enable youth reach their full potential, and Emeril’s Culinary Garden and Teaching Kitchen helps fultill that mission.
To learn more about the program, click here.
