Education & History
Inspire Series: The Edible Classroom
Creating and sustaining learning gardens.
“Every mom wants their kids to eat their veggies, every teacher appreciates experiences that support their curriculum, and every child wants to forget that they’re learning and just have fun!”
The Japanese concept of ikigai that has received a lot of attention in popular culture is defined as the “sweet spot” or “genius zone” where one’s skills, passions, and talents meet. For Grace Julian, that spot bloomed from a passing question that grew into an idea, took root in our community, and began to blossom into what is now known as The Edible Classroom.
Blessed to have three children later in life, Grace embraced opportunities to speak into the lives of her own children and other young people as a parent volunteer. She noticed an unused playground, asked the school about turning it into a learning garden, and the concept of The Edible Classroom was planted. Today, The Edible Classroom is a non-profit that provides various garden programs in schools across the county. Although each program is uniquely tailored to the needs of the school and community that plants it, the commonality is providing children with opportunities to witness the magic of a single seed and to learn through hands-on experiences with growing, harvesting, tasting, experimenting, and tending in a garden.
For Grace, being able to bring together her passion for healthy eating, fun learning, and empowering children to learn through play and exploration is the sweet spot that she grew into as her own children grew and branched off on paths of their own. “I believe all the important parts of you converge into a beautiful something at some point in your life, and I feel like this is that for me.” On the surface, The Edible Classroom is a place for students to get their hands dirty, learn about where their food comes from, take pride in growing things, and have fun doing it. Beneath the surface, the learning that happens through The Edible Classroom’s various programs supports science standards, encourages healthy eating habits, draws kids outside, and reinforces the importance of the environment to our sustainability.
“Every mom wants their kids to eat their veggies, every teacher appreciates experiences that support their curriculum, and every child wants to forget that they’re learning and just have fun!”
Learn more at theedibleclassroom.org
