GrowNYC's Environmental Education Programs

COVID-19 Program Update

Dear Teachers, Students and Parents,

Due to school closure and social distancing measures, our Education Programs are currently not operating our Zero Waste and Food & Nutrition programs in schools, School Garden workshops and giveaways, Greenmarket tours or Teaching Garden field trips. For a list of all COVID-19 related program changes, please click here.

We miss seeing the students and educators we work so closely with throughout the year! We’re in awe of teachers and students as they undertake the immense task of continuing to teach and learn through new distance learning platforms. To provide some continuity for Green Teams and all those who do so much to promote sustainability work in their schools, we have created a resource page with online activities, lessons and “virtual” field trips.

We look forward to seeing you all in person soon!

Go To --> Distance Learning Resources

GrowNYC’s education initiatives aim to foster environmental and community stewardship among young New Yorkers, school by school and classroom by classroom. Each year we provide programming to more than 70,000 youth through recycling and sustainability programs, school garden initiatives and support, nutrition education, Greenmarket school tours, in-school curricula, environmental education, and much more.  We focus on New York City neighborhoods that fit GrowNYC’s priority profile including high poverty, low consumption and limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and limited access to green space.

How Can We Help You?

I want to take a field trip (all ages)

• Sign-up for a Greenmarket school tour of your local market for K-12 classes.
• Work with adults in a senior center or community based organization? Sign up for a tour through Greenmarket Taste & Tour.
• Sign-up to take a trip to our Governors Island teaching garden.
• Get recommendations for Farm Trips.

I want help building or maintaining a school garden (K-12)

• Sign-up or Register your existing garden with Grow to Learn; our city-wide school garden initiative with a mission to facilitate and support sustainable teaching gardens in every NYC public school.

I want to improve recycling and sustainability initiatives at my school (K-12)

• Become a Recycling Champion! - In order to provide direct programming to all NYC schools we’ve partnered with the DOE and the NYC Department of Sanitation to offer Common Core linked hands-on direct programming to youth as well as professional development workshops for faculty and staff.

I want to participate in a longer-term curriculum or educational program (mixed ages)

• Seed to Plate is a standards-aligned 5th & 6th grade curriculum that tells the story of local food in a way that motivates greater behavioral change.
• Learn it, Grow it, Eat it offers youth development, nutrition education, and school-sponsored internships for High School students in the South Bronx.

I want to support GrowNYC’s Youth Education Initiative:

• Become a volunteer!
• Corporate and nonprofit partners can purchase Greenmarket Bucks to distribute to participating Greenmarket school tour participants for the purchase of healthy, local food.
• Donate! GrowNYC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.