Emeril Lagasse Foundation Receives $697,500 Multiyear Grant from the Humana Foundation to Expand Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen
Emeril Lagasse Foundation is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $697,500 multiyear grant from the Humana Foundation, marking a major milestone in a growing partnership dedicated to fostering health, nutrition, and community well-being through hands-on food education.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Humana Foundation for its continued belief in our mission and for investing in the power of food education,” said Brian Kish, President of Emeril Lagasse Foundation.
“This partnership allows us to expand Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen into new communities, helping more children discover the joy of growing and preparing fresh, healthy food while building skills that last a lifetime.”
This transformative investment will sustain and expand Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, the Foundation’s signature national education program, bringing gardens and kitchens into K–8 schools. The grant will support ongoing programming at two New Orleans schools and bring the program to a new site in South Florida, reaching an additional 400 students and their families. Through hands-on lessons in gardening, cooking, and nutrition, students will develop lifelong healthy habits and stronger connections to the food they eat and the communities they live in.
“At Emeril Lagasse Foundation, we see every garden bed and every kitchen lesson as an opportunity to plant the seeds of lifelong health and community connection,” said Katie Mularz, Chief Impact Officer.
“With the Humana Foundation’s support, we’re able to deepen that impact — reaching more students and families with experiences that make healthy living tangible, joyful, and lasting.”
The Humana Foundation’s continued partnership will further extend a collaborative evaluation study measuring how the program influences healthy eating habits and behaviors both in school and at home. Findings from this research will deepen understanding of outcomes across diverse student populations and guide future growth. The grant will also support quarterly Family and Community Engagement events that bring families together to cook, learn, and grow, as well as debut a new program element called BAM! Boxes, hydroponic grow kits that allow families to experience the joy of growing their own fresh produce at home.
A Growing Partnership for Healthier Communities
The Humana Foundation first partnered with Emeril Lagasse Foundation in 2023 to enhance Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen in New Orleans. That initial investment strengthened programming for more than 1,500 students and launched the first phase of an evaluation project to assess how food and nutrition education can drive healthier choices beyond the classroom. Together, the Foundations are helping expand access to health and wellness education while building stronger, more connected communities.
“At the Humana Foundation, we believe true health begins with education and access,” said Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation.
“Our partnership with Emeril Lagasse Foundation helps children and families gain the tools, confidence, and inspiration to make nutritious food a part of everyday life.”
About Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen
Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen allows students to cook, garden, and engage in hands-on learning that integrates nutrition education with core academic subjects such as math, science, and literacy. Flagship Schools participate in a five-year, $500,000 grant program that includes a full teaching kitchen build-out, a K–8 curriculum aligned to national academic standards, over 100 of Chef Emeril’s recipes adapted for classroom use, teacher training, and ongoing support. In 2024 alone, the program delivered more than 6,000 lessons in cooking, gardening, and nutrition to students across seven partner schools.
Emeril Lagasse Foundation is deeply grateful to the Humana Foundation for its continued support and shared commitment to food education. Together, the two organizations are empowering children, especially those in underserved communities, to make healthy choices and build brighter, more fulfilling futures.