Dropping seeds into little hands, asking questions about roots and stems, and marveling at the wide eyes and wonder she sees on the faces of her pupils, Cherif is just one person representing the growing trend of incorporating instructional gardening into the school curriculum.

For children in urban environments, especially in low-income areas where access to fresh produce is limited or non-existent, kids don't know much about the origin of food. Bringing gardens to them opens up a whole new world.

"A lot of the kids we work with don't know where food comes from," said Michelle Lieberman, executive director of OBUGS. "A benefit of school gardens is that they see the life cycle."