Collaboration & Inspiration at the Growing School Gardens Summit
The Growing School Gardens Summit is a national gathering designed to strengthen the school garden and cooking movement by connecting educators, sharing best practices, and building collective momentum at both local and national levels. From February 19–22 in Phoenix, AZ, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen school partners joined more than 550 garden and kitchen educators from across the country for hands-on lesson demonstrations, immersive field trips, strategy-driven solution sessions, and opportunities for peer learning and collaboration.
During the Summit, we hosted a dedicated working session for Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen school partners focused on strengthening alignment across sites and supporting strong program implementation. This marked the first time our school partners gathered in one collaborative space and brought together 14 educators and school leaders. Participants learned from one another, shared progress, and reflected on how each school—and each individual—leads and advances Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen within their own communities and across the partner network. By the end of the session, school partners left with a clear understanding of what strong implementation looks like, shared language and delivery practices, and a collective vision for the program’s future.
“For the first time, we had the opportunity to bring together school partners from across the country who are leading Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen in their own communities,” said Katie Mularz, Chief Impact Officer of Emeril Lagasse Foundation. “Leveraging the Growing School Gardens Summit, we created space for collaboration and shared learning that strengthened our network and our vision for what’s ahead.”
Additionally, several Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen partners were featured presenters throughout the Summit. Ryan Galle from Belle Chasse Academy led a cooking demonstration, Teaching Cultural Connection through the Garden & Kitchen, which explored how food serves as a powerful bridge between culture, identity, and empathy. Through preparing jambalaya with attendees, Ryan modeled how educators can use recipes, ingredients, and family narratives to celebrate cultural diversity in garden and kitchen classrooms.
“All food tells stories that are rooted in culture, identity, and empathy. When we teach through food, we’re not just feeding students; we’re affirming who they are and honoring the histories they carry,” said Ryan. “Our students bring those same stories into our classrooms every day. That’s why I chose to share about jambalaya. It exists because cultures blended to create something meaningful, just like the work we do every day.”
Katie Mularz, Chief Impact Officer of Emeril Lagasse Foundation, and Jessica Rodriguez, of Cloud Nine Nonprofit Advisors, presented Sow, Grow, Sustain: Fundraising Strategies to Power Your Garden, a session focused on equipping attendees with the tools to confidently cultivate financial support. Topics discussed included how to create a case for support, structure sponsorship opportunities, and develop fundraising systems. Dr. Jackie Medina from Starlight Elementary participated in the panel Cultivating a Strong School Garden Culture, and Ren Driscoll and Stacey Whitney of Academy for Global Citizenship presented Cultivating Identity: Food, Culture, and Community in School Gardens.
As we head back to implement the lessons learned at the Summit, we are energized by the connections made, the knowledge shared, and the collective vision strengthened among our Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen school partners. Bringing all schools together for the first time was a powerful reminder that this work is deeply rooted in collaboration—and that our greatest impact comes when we learn from one another and grow together. The Summit offered renewed momentum for the work ahead, and our partner network leaves ready to continue sowing seeds of change in schools and communities across the country.
