In 2010, Edible Schoolyard NYC transformed the cement parking lot of P.S. 216 into a flourishing half-acre organic garden where students learn to grow and harvest roughly 160 different types of fruits, grains, herbs, and vegetables. With the third lowest percentage of open green space in Brooklyn, Gravesend was a natural choice for establishing our inaugural Demonstration School.
Creating Curriculum to Reflect a Community
P.S. 216, the Arturo Toscanini School, is an elementary school with a diverse student body and multi-cultural community of families from Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Gravesend. The neighborhood’s demographics inform our curriculum. Whether we’re preparing Russian-style borscht or Pakistani and Indian aloo gobi, the classroom experience connects our kids to the cultures and heritage of their shared community.
“Try new foods and don’t yuck anybody’s yum.”
— Fourth grader at P.S. 216
To learn more about PS 216's Edible Schoolyard, please visit our Edible Schoolyard NYC page.