EAST LAKE FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH SOUTHEASTERN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY TO CREATE EAST LAKE COMMUNITY LEARNING GARDEN
Innovative garden will build knowledge, connections and community
Atlanta’s East Lake Foundation, a nationally recognized leader in community revitalization, is pleased to announce a partnership with the Southeastern Horticultural Society, a vital horticulture and environmental educational resource for southeastern states, to create the East Lake Community Learning Garden.
The new Learning Garden, to be located near the corner of 2nd Avenue and Hosea L. Williams Drive in Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood, will provide a safe, supportive environment where neighborhood residents will grow organic produce in a small urban farm and participate in interactive workshops while learning from each other and gardening experts. An active educational environment, the Learning Garden will serve as an outdoor classroom for East Lake children, especially students from East Lake’s Charles R. Drew Charter School.
“The health of a community is inextricably linked with the health of its residents, and we are delighted to support the East Lake Community Learning Garden,” said Madelyn R. Adams, East Lake Foundation Executive Director. “With the Southeastern Horticultural Society, we look forward to engaging our neighbors in planning a Learning Garden that brings residents together and builds a stronger East Lake community.”
“We are excited about the many opportunities this innovative Learning Garden presents,” said Kate Chura, Executive Director of the Southeastern Horticultural Society. “This summer, we will work with the East Lake Foundation to engage community stakeholders in a careful, collaborative planning process. Together, we will grow a garden that’s responsive to neighborhood needs while cultivating long-term sustainability.”
The Learning Garden will serve as a gathering place and community-building platform both for residents of The Villages of East Lake and the broader East Lake neighborhood. Adams commented, “The Learning Garden will foster healthier eating and living within our community, as well as build bridges among our neighbors.” Following community planning workshops this summer, the East Lake Foundation will host a groundbreaking ceremony this fall.
About the East Lake Foundation
Founded in 1995, the East Lake Foundation’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Atlanta’s East Lake community by providing tools that enable residents to build a better future through cradle-to-college education, affordable housing and connections with the broader community. The East Lake approach has been proven to boost employment, reduce crime and improve educational outcomes. East Lake has become a model for holistic community revitalization programs across the country.
About the Southeastern Horticultural Society
The Southeastern Horticultural Society (SHS) is a non-profit membership organization that serves as a resource for horticultural and environmental education and works toward connecting people to nature and providing them with resources to improve their lives throughout the southeastern states. SHS provides year-round environmental education programs and hands-on workshops for children, teens and adults while working directly with community members to design, install and lead educational programs in active learning environments through the Community Learning Gardens program.
