Part of the NYC Community Organization Spotlight series
Name: Edible Schoolyard NYC
What they do: Edible Schoolyard NYC’s mission is to “support edible education for every child in New York City. They partner with New York City public schools to cultivate healthy students and communities and transform children’s relationship with food.
How they do it: Edible Schoolyard NYC offers cooking classes and gardening classes to students at public schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, offering these classes to about 3,500 students.
Latest project/campaign: The organization is looking forward to providing more accessible nutrition-education programming to students across New York City, and is currently engaged in strategic planning. Follow Edible Schoolyard NYC on Instagram, Twitter, and its own website for updates on current work and emerging priorities.
Major Funding: The Edible Schoolyard gets a majority of its funding through generous donations from individuals; foundations such as the Ambrose Monell Foundation and the Booth Ferris Foundation; corporations such as Warby Parker and Kickstarter; culinary partners such as Baldor Specialty Foods; and community partners such as the New York City Department of Education and the New York City Council.
Profit/nonprofit: Nonprofit
Annual Budget: ~$2M
Interesting fact about how it is working to positively affect the food system: During the 2020-2021 school year Edible Schoolyard NYC taught 1,745 students, provided 6,235 food distributions to students and families, and harvested 2,275 pounds of produce from their school gardens to use for their cooking classes.
FACT SHEET:
Location: School sites in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx
Core Programs:
- Demonstration Schools: This program lets students experience hands-on education in gardening and kitchen classes as part of their regular schedule. In other words, students go to cooking classes just as they go to English classes.
- Network Schools: This program partners with FoodCorps, another non-profit organization focusing on what healthy school food environments look like, to provide nutrition education to five public schools in the Bronx and Central Brooklyn. In addition, Edible Schoolyard NYC works with Network School staff and communities to maintain gardens and incorporate kitchen and gardening classes into their after-school programs.
Number of staff: 14
Number of volunteers: 65
Areas served: Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn
Year Started: 2010
Director: Shanon Morris, MS, RD, CDN, Executive Director
Contact Information:
Email: info@esynyc.org
Phone Number: 347-565-0100
