Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen

Program Type: National education program that integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens in schools to create interactive learning environments centered on food.

Geographic Scope: National, with current existing partner locations in Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; New Orleans, LA; Washington D.C; and Watsonville, CA.

Mission: To enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food by integrating gardening and culinary education.

Program Components:

• Teaching kitchen construction on school grounds
• Culinary garden programs
• Teacher professional development
• Curriculum-based lesson planning
• Mentorship model for other schools

Two Grant Types:

1. Main Grant - Full Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen implementation
2. Cultivator Grant - For schools/organizations in communities with existing ELF partners

How to Apply

Eligibility Requirements - Main Grant:
Applicant must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) K-8 school with a well-established school garden and/or culinary education program
• OR be a school foundation applying on behalf of a non-profit K-8 school (if foundation exists solely to benefit the named school)
• Have the capacity to build a teaching kitchen on school grounds
• Allocate professional development days for teacher trainings
• Agree to serve as a mentor to other schools implementing similar programming
• Agree to hire dedicated staff for culinary and garden instruction
• Use the Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen curriculum for lesson planning
• Provide 18 hours of gardening instruction and 18 hours of culinary instruction for all enrolled students by grant term end

Eligibility Requirements - Cultivator Grant:
Applicant must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) K-8 school, school district, or non-profit organization
• Located in a community with existing Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen school partner
• Have an existing food education program serving at least 50 children in garden or kitchen annually
• Use the Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen curriculum
• Send 2 teachers/program staff to one-day hands-on teacher training

Application Process:

1. The Foundation accepts grants by invitation only
2. Organizations can submit an inquiry if they believe they match the program
3. Send inquiry to [email protected]
4. Include in subject line which grant type you're interested in and your organization name
   • Example: "Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen – ABC School"