Food Education in NYC Schools:
How Public Funding, Nonprofits, and Philanthropy Fit Together
Monday November 23, 2026
2:30 – 4:00pm ET
New York Health Foundation
1385 Broadway, 23rd Floor
NYC
Co-sponsored by New York Health Foundation
Learning to cook, shop on a budget, and understand where food comes from gives young people skills they can use every day. Cooking, gardening, and learning about nutrition also help students build confidence, solve problems, work together, and try new things. Food can be a way for students to explore their cultures, share what they know, and bring what they’ve learned home to their families.
But not every school has the staff, resources, or community partners to offer food education. New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is working to reach more students through its Food Education Program. The program partners with nonprofits and school communities to support food education in classrooms, cafeterias, and other school settings.
Join us for a conversation about how the NYCPS Food Education Program works, what schools and nonprofit partners are doing, and what’s next for food education in New York City. NYCPS leaders will explain why the program was created, what funding and resources schools can access, and how nonprofits can get involved. We’ll also hear from nonprofit partners like SNACC and Edible Schoolyard NYC, and from school community members about what food education looks like day-to-day and how it affects students.
This gathering is a chance to learn what the city is supporting, where schools and nonprofits still need help, and how philanthropy can build on public funding to reach more students.
Learn
- How the NYCPS Food Education Program works, what resources are available, and how schools can partner with nonprofits.
- What hands-on food education looks like in classrooms, cafeterias, and after-school programs.
- How food education helps students build confidence, independence, teamwork, problem-solving, and everyday skills.
- What educators, school food workers, and school leaders say is working—and what makes food education difficult to offer.
- Where philanthropic support can fill gaps, support new approaches, and help bring quality food education to more students.
Speakers (list in formation)
- Jeremy Walter, Executive Director, Food Education, NYC Public Schools
- Danielle Cohen, Executive Director and Founder, SNACC
- Kristen Baldwin, President and Executive Director, Edible Schoolyard NYC
- Esther Negrin, School Food Service Manager, Office of Food & Nutrition Services
- Sarah Pinto, Principal, P.S. 020 Anna Silver
More about the presenting organizations
The Food Education Team is part of the NYC Office of Food and Nutrition Services. We help make food education an important part of every student's school day. We work with schools, teachers, school food staff, and community partners to connect learning in the classroom with healthy school meals and hands-on activities. Together, we help students and families build healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
SNACC Inc. (Sustainable Nutrition And Community Connection) is a nonprofit addressing food insecurity and educational disparities through hands-on food education and youth development programs. SNACC provides both in-school and after-school programming, partnering with schools and families to support thousands of youth each year across New York City. SNACC programming builds practical life skills, promotes wellness, and empowers youth to thrive academically, socially, and physically.
Edible Schoolyard NYC is on a mission to make edible education accessible for every child in NYC. We believe edible education—where kids experience hands-on cooking and gardening—helps kids gain the skills to contribute to a healthy and sustainable food system for us all. Edible education helps students build healthy relationships with food, their community, and their environment. Together with public school communities across the city, we’re building spaces for kids to flourish.