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NYCFoodPolicy: A Non-Profit Paves the Way for Sustainable Indoor Urban Farming in New York City: NY Sun Works
New York Sun Works is a non-profit that builds state-of-the-art hydroponic labs in New York City schools. Their sustainability science and climate education program combines indoor farming with classroom instruction in order to engage children in grades K through 12 in hands-on learning while growing hundreds of pounds of vegetables year round.
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Raise Your Voice, Cast Your Vote!
New Yorkers, it’s time to get out and vote! In select city council districts, voting for participatory budgeting is open until April 2nd, and NY Sun Works is on the ballot. Residents of the city age 11 and up are eligible to help allocate $1.5 million toward local community projects, with some districts placing a special focus on climate justice initiatives this year. Everyone of age who lives or goes to school in a participating district is eligible to vote, regardless of citizenship or voter registration status, so please spread the word.
NY Sun Works Hydroponic Classrooms are on the ballot in the following City Council Districts:
District 25: PS 89Q The Jose Peralta School of Dreamers
District 33: Dock Street School and Brooklyn Frontiers High School
District 36: LAUNCH Charter School
District 39: PS 130 The Parkside School and PS 118 The Maurice Sendak Community School
Participatory budgeting is a unique way for NYC communities to speak up, embody their values, and be the change they want to see in their neighborhoods. This year, support for NY Sun Works hydroponic classrooms is on the ballot in multiple districts across the city, and we need your support in showing the need for quality climate education programs. While climate resiliency efforts have made great strides in New York over recent years, there is always more work to be done, which is why it’s so important that sustainability-minded city dwellers make their voices heard.
While effecting sustainable change is of vital importance, participatory budgeting also presents New Yorkers as young as 11 years old with the chance to get involved in real-life political activism. Initiatives like ours wouldn’t be possible without support from government officials at all levels, but the New York City Council has played a vital role in the rapid expansion of our climate education program. Through casting their vote, students take a stand for their right to a sustainable future, a skill that will serve them well in embodying the change they want to see, especially as they approach the legal voting age for general elections. It can also help instill them with the confidence to take a stance on controversial issues, form strong opinions, and participate in discussions surrounding topics that impact us all.
It takes a village to change the world, and New York City is much more than just a village. By combining our voices, New Yorkers can ensure our elected officials know that climate education matters. And what’s more, we can see to it that programs that align with our values receive the funding they need, while introducing the young climate leaders of tomorrow to the sustainability issues facing us today.
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High School Students Prepare for Futures in Urban Agriculture
We believe New York City high school students are some of the luckiest young people in our country. With a host of iconic educational and professional institutions across a variety of fields and industries, the students of today have more avenues than ever to pursue and achieve goals that lie close to their hearts. However, it’s no secret that children and young adults from low-income communities are often excluded from these incredible opportunities. While technology and innovation have brought about fantastic change, this is one of the modern day’s great educational injustices. So what can we do to solve it?
Last year, we piloted our Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Program, which took 32 students from three NYC public schools in Brooklyn and Queens and equipped them with marketable career readiness skills and official certification in seed-to-harvest hydroponic farming. Our goal is to open new pathways for young climate leaders to enter a growing sector of the green economy. With funding from the US Department of Agriculture, and culminating in an exciting event hosted by NYC Mayor Eric Adams at Gracie Mansion, our program was a resounding success, and we are pleased to announce that this spring we’re continuing to offer professional certification and training opportunities for tomorrow’s urban agriculture leaders.
In January 2023, we were joined by eight eager elective classes of high school farmer scientists. During our new Controlled Environmental Agriculture elective, students are guided through hands-on studies and practical exams by their hydroponic classroom teachers, and supported by the expert Greenhouse Support Team at NY Sun Works. As a continuation of last year’s summer pilot, they’ll also have the opportunity to visit commercial hydroponic sites like Brooklyn Grange, as well as explore post-secondary education opportunities at community colleges such as LaGuardia Community College. Additionally, participants are invited to the inaugural CEA career and college networking event scheduled for May 24th at the Javits Center immediately following our annual Youth Conference, for professional networking opportunities.
We are incredibly proud of the work students have put into pursuing careers in urban CEA, as well as that of our Education Team who has innovated this new approach to education and professional development. This program is the first of its kind in the city, and as we continue to grow, we hope to also continually deliver quality STEM and climate education opportunities to students and young adults with the drive to tackle sustainability issues.
If you’re interested in bringing our CEA Elective Course to your school, or have any questions about it, please contact Education Specialist and Program Manager Hannah Luna.
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PIX 11: US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Visits NY Sun Works Hydroponic Classroom, Sees Opportunities for Students
US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made the rounds in New York City on Tuesday, touting investments for teachers and students, as schools get ready for the upcoming academic year. He toured schools in Queens and Brooklyn alongside Congress members Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez.
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RadioKingston: Hydroponic Farms in Schools and Holistic Health, Interview with Manuela Zamora
Celebrating Women’s Month, we met Bolivian immigrant Manuela Zamora, director of NY Sun Works, which aims to help change school classrooms and has started classes in NYC, where her children studied. This program is already present in more than 200 schools between New York City and some in the Hudson Valley.
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Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, & US Dept. of Education Partner With NY Sun Works
NY Sun Works is honored to announce that we are the recipient of 2023 Congressionally Funded Community Project (CFCP) earmark funding, thanks to support from Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Ritchie Torres, and Minority Leader & Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Through this allocation, our representatives have reaffirmed their commitment to community building, environmental justice, and educational equity. We’re excited to bring 50 new hydroponic labs to schools in the South Bronx and Brooklyn and reach over 20,000 new students, empowering three congressional districts with new partnerships and opportunities for sustainability and climate science learning.
As we continue to expand our sustainability science program throughout the NY metro area, we depend on partners like Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to call attention to the need for additional resources and educational support in underserved communities across New York. From loud and proud leadership in the City Council to the House and the Senate, coordinating with leaders in the public realm is vital to our mission to systemically address localized inequities and channel resources toward neighborhoods and schools that need them most. Walking the walk is equally important as talking the talk, which is why factoring historic injustice into our approach is paramount to making effective change.
We would like to graciously thank Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their generous support, and Representatives Jeffries, Clarke, and Torres for their efforts in securing this earmark funding on behalf of the young, future climate leaders of New York. This support from our elected officials helps ensure that we can meet the moment on climate change and help our young people secure the sustainable future they deserve.
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Climate Action Day Workshop PD: Water
Join us in a NY Sun Works Professional Learning session to prepare for your last NYC Climate Action Day! The Climate Action Day focused on Water will take place on Wednesday, June 12. This session will give you time to plan! We will share NY Sun Works learning resources, lessons, and units related to engaging students in water and ocean conservation and action projects. You and your fellow partner teachers will brainstorm and come up with the plans to implement this in your hydroponic classrooms and schools!
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BK Reader: Brooklyn and Queens Schools Get STEM and Sustainability Curriculum Thanks to Rep. Nydia Velázquez
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez recently presented a check worth $800,000 in funding to NY Sun Works — a New York-based nonprofit that delivers science and sustainability education through urban farming to K-12 students — to provide schools in Brooklyn and Queens with hydroponic farm technology to enhance each school’s science curriculum.
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The 13th Annual Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference
The Youth Conference is an annual celebration of science and a student showcase where Farmer Scientists from our partner schools take the stage to share their projects and research in the world of climate science. This year’s conference will be held on Thursday May 23, 2024 at the iconic Javits Center, where students in grades 3-12 will present live to our audience of students, educators, guest speakers, elected officials, and more. Registration for this year’s conference is now open to NY Sun Works partner schools! For more information, please join one of our Youth Conference Info Sessions, also found on our Upcoming Events Calendar.
