Politics & Government

Michelle Obama Coming To Newark, NJ, For Garden Tour

The First Lady's tour will "highlight the impact and benefits of diverse gardens across the country."

For the second time in a year, Newark will get a visit from a member of the First Family.

First Lady Michelle Obama plans to visit Philip’s Academy Charter School in Newark at 3 p.m. on Thursday as part of her “American Garden Tour,” the White House announced.

During her visit to the Newark school, Obama will join students as they plant their school garden, White House spokespeople stated.

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According to a news release, Obama’s garden tour will “highlight the impact and benefits of diverse gardens across the country,” such as the one at Phillip’s Academy, which created their EcoSpaces Education program to “connect students to food, how it’s grown, and how it nourishes their bodies in order to empower them to make healthy choices throughout their lives.”

According to White House spokespeople, the school serves students homemade meals prepared by a culinary team that follows USDA nutritional guidelines.

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In addition, the school uses their learning environments - a rooftop garden, teaching kitchen, AeroFarms indoor growing lab, and dining room - to “connect core curriculum to food literacy in an interactive way.”

Michelle Obama’s trip to Newark will come four months after the President came to the city to discuss criminal justice reform in America.

In addition to Newark, Michelle Obama will visit Burke County Middle School in Georgia on Thursday at 11 a.m.

She welcomed students from the following areas to the annual White House Kitchen Garden planting on Tuesday:

  • Washburn School Garden Program – Washburn, Wisconsin
  • Montezuma School to Farm Project – Cortez, Colorado
  • Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) – New Orleans, Louisiana

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Photo: Michelle Obama works with student volunteers in the White House Kitchen Garden

Photo and video via The White House

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