Our Victory Garden has organically grown into the physical anchor of Spelman's Food Studies Program. Approximately 100 different edible and medicinal crops have been grown within the space. The Garden includes a small greenhouse, storage shed, and greenspace intentionally outlined as an outdoor classroom (learning space) for student projects and faculty to create courses or modules.
In the 2022-23 AY, we had several faculty to incorporate our Garden space into their courses or offer workshops (few examples)- Dance and the Garden, Dr. Julie Johnson (Dance); Fiber Arts and the Garden, Professor Kelly Mitchell (AVC); Molokhia and Black-Palestinian Solidarity, Dr. Pushpa Parekh (English); Food and the City, Dr. Nik Heynen (UGA Visiting Food Studies Scholar); Food and Culture, Dr. James Daria (Anthropology); Microbiomes, Dr. Mentewab Ayalew (Biology); and Food Chemistry and Global Black foodways, Dr. Kimberly Jackson (Chemistry and Biochemistry).
We piloted a new course on Black herbalism (Special Topics: Introduction to African American Herbalism; SCHE 451). The Garden served as an essential part of the course, taught by Spelman alumna, Professor Selima Harleston Lust in Spring 2024. Also, Sariyah Benoit, our Garden Specialist and Educator, engages students/faculty/staff daily through hosting volunteer activities in the Garden, onsite teaching, and social media engagement.