Teens for Food Justice

Our after-school program trains youth, ages 12 to 18, to build and maintain indoor hydroponic farms that serve as local sources for fresh food and centers for nutrition and health education in their schools and communities. Students use cutting-edge hydroponic technology to grow substantial quantities of crops for their school, families, and neighbors. They are trained to become health and nutrition ambassadors who teach skills for healthy eating, shopping, cooking, fitness and lifestyle behaviors to others. Through their own, their peers’, their families’ and their neighbors’ involvement, these young leaders will be the catalysts for a grassroots food justice movement in their community.

The Need:
Teens for Food Justice addresses one of NYC’s most critical challenges: getting nutritious food and health resources to those most in need. Sixteen percent of New Yorkers are food insecure and undernourished; 1 in 4 children live in households lacking sufficient food. And, even when healthy choices are available, they are often underutilized due to lack of familiarity with how to shop for and prepare the food.

The TFFJ youth-led program brings these resources to food desert neighborhoods, exposing families to foods and lifestyle habits that improve community health, while building the next generation of advocates in the fight for food justice.