History
Since 2009, the Edible Peace Patch Project has been cultivating healthy minds and bodies in St Petersburg. It all began with our first garden at Lakewood Elementary School, a Title 1 school on the south side of St. Petersburg. A group of Eckerd students convinced one of their professors, who had a farming background, to guide them in planning, installing and planting a schoolyard garden. The group began developing academic lessons that used the gardens as an outdoor laboratory and classroom to connect statewide elementary school learning standards to direct, hands-on education for students. The name, the Edible Peace Patch Project, was chosen by a group of 5th graders at Lakewood Elementary.
Since then, we have expanded to eight schoolyard gardens and one community garden. Where we provide an in-school education program, an after-school program, and a families program. Our curriculum was developed alongside the Pinellas County School Board, and has continued to evolve as we learn and grow. Our afterschool program provides as opportunity for Students to learn from Community Leaders, in the realms of gardening, ecological awareness, sustainability, and nutrition.
