Equal access to healthy food is essential.
Too many of NYC’s 1.1 million public school students aren’t getting the food they need to thrive.
- Nearly one in four children in New York City is food insecure
- Only 14% of American children meet their daily fruit intake; 20% meet the daily requirement for vegetables
- Over 40% of New York City public school children are obese or overweight
- Childhood obesity disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color
- Obesity rates in East Harlem are three times what they are on the Upper East Side, just a few short blocks away.
An edible education is about more than just food.
Edible Schoolyard NYC is growing healthier kids through a grassroots approach to food education that combines academic rigor with hands-on, creative engagement.
- We work mainly in schools located in low-income communities, areas identified by the NYC Department of Health as having the highest rates of diet-related diseases
- Our curriculum is aligned with Common Core standards, strengthening overall academic achievement
- All of our classes and workshops are free of charge, fully accessible to the communities
we serve - We work closely with school teachers and staff, enabling them to build their capacity for edible education based on their particular needs, goals, and resources
- We have seen that an inspiring, hands-on food education has a profound impact on the students we serve, building character and instilling a sense of personal responsibility
- Working with food is fun! Our approach brings a joyful, creative, and interactive experience into the classroom.
