NY Sun Works Brings Learning & Leadership to the Museum of the City of New York

November 17, 2022

NY Sun Works was honored to join one of the city’s preeminent educational institutions, the Museum of the City of New York, for a day of food-centric professional learning inspired by their newest exhibition: Food in New York. Our Executive Director, Manuela Zamora, shared the success of our program with science educators from all five boroughs during the day’s keynote presentation, highlighting the over 230 schools with NY Sun Works farm classrooms of their own, all of which are now sharing fresh, healthy produce with thousands of students (and their families)! Fabio Parasecoli, Professor of Food Studies at NYU also took to the stage for a discussion-based panel to elucidate foodways, food systems, and other food-related topics all within the complex context of New York City. 

Our Program Development team, Megan Nordgren and Madeline Turner, also led teachers through the basics of hydroponics in the classroom, diving into how our program can be adapted to meet a wide range of learning styles. From District 75 & Title 1 to Transfer schools, it’s vital to our mission that students’ backgrounds and circumstances do not obstruct them from the climate education they both need and deserve. After wrapping up a brief introduction to the science behind hydroponics, STEM educators K-12 dove into a hands-on workshop, constructing passive hydroponic systems using simple materials all within recycled plastic drinking bottles. By using these tiny but mighty systems to grow adorable baby kale and lettuce sprouts in their own homes, teachers gain a first-hand look at the relative ease of the hydroponic growing process, as well as share in the joys of caring for a living thing of their very own.