[CharterSchools] FirstLine Schools, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans Celebrate Farm to School Month this October

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

Media Contact: Claudia Barker
cell: 504-296-7377
cbarker at firstlineschools.org


MEDIA ALERT:
FirstLine Schools and Edible Schoolyard NewOrleans Celebrate National Farm to School Month this October 
New Orleans, LA,October 3, 2014 – This October, FirstLine Schools and Edible Schoolyard NewOrleans will celebrate National Farm to School Month, an annual celebrationshowcasing the importance of farm to school programs. Farm to School Month is anationwide event, sponsored by the Farm to School Network, which promotes andexplores the way that local food and nutrition education contribute to healthychildren and families, and help build vibrant communities.
Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA), will kick offthis month with special food education events including a Family Food Night anda 7th grade “Cooperative Kitchen” competition sponsored by Chevron,both at Samuel L. Green Charter School. Children will also celebrate National Food Day on October 24thwith a family food event at Langston Hughes Academy, and a sugarcane farm visitfor middle-school students. Sweet Potato Fest, an all-day celebration wherestudents and parents harvest hundreds of the tasty tuber, and cook them in avariety of ways, will take place on November 1st at Arthur AsheCharter School.


“October is a perfect month to highlight fresh, seasonalfoods here in New Orleans. Year-round growing, coupled with New Orleans-styleculinary creativity, generates much excitement for the work of EdibleSchoolyard New Orleans,” said Claudia Barker, ESYNOLA’s Executive Director.“Our students love participating in food-education events and sharing the joyof good food that they prepared with their families.”


In addition to this month-long local food celebration, EdibleSchoolyard New Orleans works year-round to incorporate nutritional, wellness,environmental, and agricultural education into the FirstLine Schools’curriculum.  The program engages childrenin all aspects of growing, harvesting and preparing fresh seasonal food intheir school gardens and teaching kitchens.  ESYNOLA also hosts family and community events to promote healthy eatingand the joys of sharing good food.


FirstLine Schools and ESYNOLA are members of the Louisiana Farm to School Alliance.  Last month, James Beard Foundation Leadership AwardRecipient farmer Ben Burkett and other farmers from the Indian Springs FarmersCooperative in Mississippi trucked loads of watermelons to four FirstLine K-8schools for a joyful Watermelon Day celebration with tastings, crafts, relayraces and games. In addition to farmers, students connect with localprofessional chefs through Third Grade Market to Table, where students team upwith local chefs to visit the Crescent City Farmers’ Market, select andpurchase ingredients for a special lunch that they prepare in the teachingkitchen for their parents.  ESYNOLA alsoregularly hosts Open Garden Day, where parents, children, and community membershelp with planting, harvesting, and garden work projects.


FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspiregreat open enrollment public schools in New Orleans.  FirstLine currently operates Samuel L. GreenCharter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School atPhillis Wheatley, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory HighSchool.  For more information, pleasevisit www.firstlineschools.org.
Edible SchoolyardNew Orleans
Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) is acomprehensive seed-to-table food education program that aims to change the waychildren eat, learn, and live at five FirstLine public charter schools.  The program offers hands-on gardening and kitchenclasses that are integrated into the curriculum, culture, and cafeteriaprograms at the schools it serves. Founded in 2006, ESYNOLA is in its eighth year of operation and serves 3,000students in grades pre-K through 12th grade across the FirstLineSchools network.  For more information, pleasevisit www.esynola.org.
 National Farm toSchool Network
The National Farm to School Network is an information,advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local foodsourcing and food and agriculture education into school systems and preschools.For more information, please visit www.farmtoschool.org.
 
 Sincerely,

 
 Alisha M. Johnson



Alisha Johnson

Development Manager
Edible Schoolyard NOLA (www.esynola.org)
A Signature Program of FirstLine Schools (www.firstlineschools.org)
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 791729, New Orleans, LA  70179-1729

Physical Address: 300 N. Broad Street, Suite 207, New Orleans, LA  70119
(504) 421-1060 cell



Changing the way children eat, learn and live at FirstLine Schools in New  Orleans.



HOLD THE DATE:

  "AN EDIBLE EVENING"
Thursday, March 26, 2015
at Langston Hughes Academy's 
Dream Keeper Garden
3519 Trafalgar Street, 
behind the Fairgrounds Race Track


See 2014 photos at  http://www.esynola.org/gallery/An_Edible_Evening_2014/60.html


Please visit us at http://www.esynola.org, "Like" us on Facebook, 
and follow us on Twitter @esynola!


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist9.pair.net/pipermail/charterschools/attachments/20141003/cded0b41/attachment.html>