Food Forests for Schools

Leading the Way in Nutrition and Environmental Education
Educating children about their natural resources and health is critical to preparing them for a sustainable future. 

Food Forests for Schools (formerly Edible Garden Initiative) uses edible gardens and Food Forests as outdoor learning laboratories in Miami-Dade County's public elementary schools to instill in children the desire to eat nutritious food while learning to care for the environment. Students learn curriculum through hands-on production of edible gardens and Food Forests. Meanwhile, families and other members of the community work in the gardens and attend healthy cooking and gardening workshops.

For more information about the TD Ready Challenge, click here. 

Through Food Forests for Schools, students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between health and their environment. ​

The initiative engages students to plant and maintain edible gardens and Food Forests on school grounds while using those gardens to learn about healthy eating and environmental sustainability. 

From a pilot program in just 5 schools, the Food Forests for Schools initiative has grown to now involve more than 30,000 students within 71 Miami-Dade County Public Schools, with diverse populations from mostly lower-income families. This is almost 25% of all elementary schools in the district.  

The ultimate objective of Food Forests for Schools is to significantly improve eating patterns in children and their families while also improving students' academic achievement.

For more information, please call:
305-558-4544, ext. 118 
or Email Food Forest for Schools Program Manager

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