Tremont Elementary Becomes Eighth School to Join Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen Program
New Orleans, LA (Oct. 1, 2026) — Emeril Lagasse Foundation celebrated the opening of its eighth site for Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, the nonprofit’s signature program, at Tremont Elementary School in Medford, New York, expanding the Foundation’s national investment in culinary and nutrition education to Long Island.
The new space was officially unveiled during a Sept. 30 ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Emeril Lagasse Foundation President Brian Kish, Patchogue-Medford School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Harrigan, Tremont Elementary Principal Dr. Christopher Kelly, donor Philip Carlucci, teachers, students, and members of the Foundation and district teams. The event also included student-led tours of Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen and refreshments made with fresh ingredients from the school’s culinary garden.
Tremont Elementary, part of the Patchogue-Medford School District, is now the eighth school in the country to implement the Foundation’s signature program, an immersive model that brings together gardening, nutrition, and hands-on culinary education to transform how students learn about food, health, and core academic subjects.
“Opening the doors to a new signature program site is always a special moment for Alden and me. When the planning and construction are finished, and the ribbon is finally cut, more young people have the opportunity to experience food in a whole new way,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse, chairman and founder of Emeril Lagasse Foundation. “Tremont has already built an incredible culture around learning, wellness, and the garden. Now, students can take what they grow, bring it into the kitchen, and experience the full journey from garden to table.”
The need for programs like Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen continues to grow as greater emphasis is placed on childhood nutrition, access to healthy food, and preventative health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 1 in 10 children in the United States consume the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, and childhood obesity affects nearly 1 in 5 school-aged children. In response, the Foundation’s signature program delivered 5,126 cooking, gardening, and nutrition lessons nationwide and supported schools in engaging families through 210 food-centered community events during the 2025-2026 school year.
“We are incredibly proud that Tremont Elementary has been chosen for this innovative program,” said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, superintendent of Patchogue-Medford School District. “Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen will open doors for students to explore natural science, nutrition, culture, and collaboration in ways that are both joyful and academically enriching.”
Approximately 41% of students at Tremont Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and many of the school’s families face barriers to accessing fresh ingredients. In 2022, the school launched its Courtyard Project-Based Learning Initiative, transforming an underused courtyard into a vibrant outdoor classroom featuring garden beds, composting systems, and a chicken coop. In 2024, Tremont introduced Tremont GROWS, a schoolwide framework that emphasizes Growth, Respect, Opportunity, Wellness, and Sustainability, uniting the garden, STEAM programming, and community involvement under a shared mission.
Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen represents the next step in Tremont’s existing commitment to garden-based and project-based learning. With the teaching kitchen now complete, students can extend lessons from the school’s garden into the kitchen through a cohesive garden-to-table experience.
“Our students have watched this vision take shape, and now they get to make it their own,” said Dr. Christopher Kelly, principal of Tremont Elementary. “The teaching kitchen gives our instructors a new way to connect lessons across subjects while giving students the opportunity to grow, prepare, and understand their food firsthand. We’re excited to see where their curiosity takes them.”
Ahead of the opening, Emeril Lagasse Foundation program staff and training partner Life Lab led a professional development session for Tremont Elementary educators on Sept. 29. Teachers explored the program’s curriculum, instructional resources, and strategies for integrating hands-on culinary and garden lessons into the school day. The training is one part of the Foundation’s ongoing support for school partners, equipping educators with the knowledge and confidence to bring the program to life for students.
Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s $500,000 multi-year investment in Tremont Elementary was made possible through a gift from Long Island resident and business owner Philip Carlucci.
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About Emeril Lagasse Foundation
Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife, Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $24 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides programmatic and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative that enriches the lives of elementary- and middle-school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund provides culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth. To learn more about the Foundation and its beneficiaries, visit emeril.org or follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
About Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District
Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District is a public school district in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, serving over 7,400 students in grades K-12. The District includes one high school, three middle schools and seven elementary schools and employs more than 1,600 administrators, faculty, and staff, who work each day to provide students with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. For more information about the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pmschools.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PatMedSchools/. #PatMedPride.
