Edible Schoolyard NYC

Program Type: 
Garden Classrooms, Kitchen Classrooms, School Cafeterias, Support Organization
Grade Level/Age Group: 
Pre-Kindergarten, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School
Number of Individuals Program Serves: 
5,000
Year Founded: 
2010
About the Program: 

Edible Schoolyard NYC partners with public schools to transform the hearts, minds, and eating habits of young New Yorkers.

By integrating hands-on food education into high-need schools across New York City, Edible Schoolyard NYC aims to change attitudes, preferences, and behaviors around healthy eating.

Staff work in schools to support garden builds and maintenance, develop and implement standards-based curriculum, and integrate garden and kitchen classes into the school day. With a goal of transforming the whole school environment, Edible Schoolyard NYC also conducts cafeteria tastings, works with partner organizations on improving cafeteria food, and hosts community days and family programs to involve the whole school and community in wellness education.

In addition to its direct work in schools, Edible Schoolyard NYC also supports educators and administrators to develop and expand programming in their own schools through professional development workshops.

Edible Schoolyard NYC’s vision is that all children are educated and empowered to make healthy food choices for themselves, their communities, and their environment, actively achieving a just and sustainable food system for all.

Program Resources

Callalo
Students will practice cooking greens and learn about the food geography of the Caribbean.
Grade: 
3 – 5
Salsa Toasts
Students will learn the steps of making salsa by preparing salsa on will also explore their kitchen classrooms and the fruits of the late summer harvest.
Grade: 
3 – 5
Plant Part Salad
Students will learn to make salad dressing and assemble a salad while learning to identify all the parts and colors of a plant that we eat.
Grade: 
3 – 5
Chinese Scrambled Eggs and Soybean Dumplings
Students will learn to make scrambled eggs and vegetable dumplings in the Chinese tradition and discuss the foods of spring, especially protein-rich foods from animals and plants.
Grade: 
PreK – 2
Aloo Gobi
Students will learn to make a simple roasted potato and cauliflower dish. They will play a game in which they compare and contrast many different kitchen and food objects based upon size, plant part, volume, and more.
Grade: 
PreK – 2