EDIBLE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
The Edible Education Experience grew from a desire to connect education with gardening and cooking. Since opening the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House & Culinary Garden in Orlando’s College Park, the nonprofit has been able to expand its reach from beyond its beginnings in the nearby Orlando Junior Academy.
The Kitchen House “definitely brings the community together,” said Janice Banks, executive director of Edible Education Experience. “I think there are simple joys in cooking with a group of people, gardening with a group of people.
“Oftentimes, it’s people meeting here that wouldn't meet in the community.”
Years in the making, the Kitchen House has become a place for special events such as chef ’s nights and cooking classes. The garden has become a place for those with — or without — green thumbs wishing to learn more.
For students, the Kitchen House is where a watermelon becomes a way to learn about circumference, while a cake makes for a fun way to understand fractions. Edible Education staff pass along those methods in an annual Teacher’s Academy.
Some lessons go beyond the classroom, with students learning about food safety, cooking techniques and nutrition.
“Our goal is that they are inspired to go home and replicate what they learn here,” Banks said.