Advocacy

We know that for every child to access edible education, we must also advocate for systemic changes at the policy level. We are working with peers across New York City and State to inform and implement policies that bring edible education and sustainable spaces to more school communities

NYC Public Schools Food Education Expansion

Positioning our schools to prioritize access to edible education has never been more urgently necessary.  Since early 2023, we’ve helped to spearhead advocacy efforts to ensure access to edible education for all NYC public school students.

  • In 2023, NYC officially committed for the first time to providing hands-on food and nutrition education experiences to all NYC students, beginning with 60 schools during the 2023-24 school year, and with plans to expand each year thereafter.
  • NYC further committed to hands-on food and nutrition learning opportunities for all kids in public schools with City Hall’s Roadmap for Prioritizing Food Education in our Public Schools.
  • Our advocacy work at the city level is to ensure that schools have the resources they need to prioritize equitable access to edible education.

Healthy and Sustainable Families and Communities

At ESYNYC, we know that we must also advocate for equitable access to the resources for students and their families the freedom and ability to implement what they learn in our gardens and kitchen classrooms in their homes and communities.  As such, we work on the local, state and federal levels to advocate for policies which promote thriving communities, including:

  • NYC Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services Budget Cut Advocacy, coordinated by No Kid Hungry NY and Community Food Advocates, calling for restoration of the $60 million dollars in cuts to the department’s FY24 budget for procuring, preparing and serving healthy school meals to NYC students.
  • SNAP4All NY, a statewide policy advocacy campaign to secure a state investment to provide food benefits to all income-eligible New Yorkers who are currently excluded from SNAP due to their citizenship status.
  • Healthy School Meals for All NY, a statewide policy advocacy campaign to secure a state investment to provide universal healthy school breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of family income.
  • $100 SNAP Minimum proposal, a State Assembly proposal with broad, bipartisan support and traction across NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, with a precedent  in New Jersey, which would set and baseline the minimum monthly food benefit at $100 per eligible individual.
  • Emergency Coalition to Save Education Programs coordinated by Advocates for Children of NY, calling on NY State to sustain critical education programs supported by temporary funding set to expire in June 2024.
  • Living Schoolyards Act (S-1538), a federal bill which would direct resources towards upgrading school grounds across the country into nature-based learning environments that help reduce the impacts of extreme weather while providing students access to shaded play, recreation, gardening and outdoor learning.
  • No Shame at School Act (S-4602/HR-8477), a federal bill to address the stigma of school meal debt, support school nutrition finances, and help ensure that children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals are certified to receive them.

Without advocating for investments in the health and sustainability of our school communities, we cannot ensure that students and their families have the resources they need to implement the lessons we teach to our students over their lifetimes.

 

We’re always looking for ambassadors and advocates to help spread the word about our work! For more information contact us.