Kitchen Teacher,
P.S. 7/M.S. 7 & Global Tech Prep
Amina hails from Michigan, where she grew up cheering on the Spartans. Prior to Edible Schoolyard NYC, Amina worked as a Nutrition and Garden Educator through the Michigan Fitness Foundation and served as Healthy Lifestyles Project Coordinator with the Capital Area Health Alliance. Amina brings to her work a degree in Nutrition, a love of trying new things, and a passion for connecting kids to real food.
Leek
Grants & Development Manager
Broccolini
Executive Director
Originally from London, Kate has made her home in the U.S. for the past 15 years. After a varied career spanning financial services and marketing, she turned to nonprofit management. Prior to Edible Schoolyard NYC, Kate worked at a charter school network. She studied Classics at Cambridge University and has an MBA from Columbia University. She lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband and three children, where she enjoys attempting to turn her wild backyard into a beautiful garden and cooking with her family.
On the back of a horse, anywhere
Director of Education
Liza comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC after many years as a classroom teacher of both children and adults, and trains our educators to become better teachers themselves. She is currently trying to perfect the kale pesto recipe she learned in a kitchen class at PS 216.
Marcella Hazan: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
Program Manager,
P.S. 216
Dan comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC from the culinary world. Prior to 2012, Dan had a brief stint in the nonprofit development world before leaving to attend culinary school and cook professionally in New York City restaurants. Fortunately he found his way to Edible Schoolyard NYC at P.S. 216, where he happily remains to this very day.
Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food
FoodCorps Service Member,
Brooklyn Gardens Elementary
Prior to her FoodCorps service year with Edible Schoolyard NYC, Tessa studied Women’s Studies at her community college in Bergen County, New Jersey, and worked in a bakery and an elementary school. Tessa has a passion for health, sustainability, art, and education. She believes that no matter how different we may be from one another, we can acknowledge that we all call this beautiful, wondrous, incredible planet home. Therefore, we must honor our intrinsic responsibility to the Earth and each other.
Dragon Carrot
Garden Teacher,
P.S./M.S. 7 & Global Tech Prep
Sweet Potato
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
Cecilia has been teaching in parks and gardens for several years in NYC. She can most likely be found looking for ladybugs in the asparagus bed or taking a nap next to the basil.
The Joy of Cooking
FoodCorps Service Member,
P.S. 311
After years of working in account management at a media research company, Shey decided it was time to leave the corporate world to sprout new seeds in classrooms and gardens. As a proud Bronx native, Shey found his passion in his community (and its soil!) after learning how to grow everything from jalapeño peppers to cherry trees. When he’s not busy advocating for the Bronx, he can be found exploring the world with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Planning my next adventure
Vice President, Growth Strategy and Development
Lizzie hails from Albany, NY, where she grew up enjoying treats from her mother’s garden. After many years raising money for one of NYC’s public parks, she is thrilled to bring her love of outdoor green spaces, colorful veggies, inquisitive kids, and strategic fundraising to the Edible Schoolyard NYC team.
Fire Island
Educator/Program Manager,
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration and Brooklyn Gardens Elementary
Leonisa joined the Edible Schoolyard NYC team after spending several years working to bring edible education to local New York City after-school programs. A native New Yorker, Leonisa has always enjoyed cooking, eating, and spending time around the table.
The beach
Kitchen Teacher,
P.S. 216
Hannah grew up in Washington State, following her mom around the kitchen and exploring the great outdoors. After graduating from Whitman College with a degree in Environmental Studies and Biology, Hannah found her way to Thailand and the education world, first teaching English and later working as a field instructor for a study abroad organization. She merged her love of food and Environmental Studies and Biology as a FoodCorps Service Member in the South Bronx and is now settling into the kitchen classroom at PS 216, where she can’t wait to bring people together around the table. When not in the kitchen, you can find Hannah exploring new places via bicycle or picnicking in the park.
Pok Pok
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Before coming to NYC, Alex was living her greenest life, leading climbing trips and studying Community Development in the valleys, rivers, and mountains of beautiful Vermont. It was in Burlington that she truly experienced the power of community, which ignited her passion for bringing people together around food. When she’s not writing for Edible Schoolyard NYC, you can probably find her being resourceful in her humble kitchen or biking leisurely around Brooklyn, usually with a huge smile.
Artichoke
Program Manager,
P.S./M.S. 7 & Global Tech Prep
Oil painting
Operations and Finance Manager
Luis spent most of his childhood watching cooking shows and making a mess in the kitchen. He is currently working on his Master’s degree in Food Studies at NYU, where he is studying food access and hunger issues.
Purple Carrot
Kitchen Teacher,
P.S. 216
Born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Fabian is a diehard Dodgers fan. Before finding his roots at our Gravesend Demonstration school site, Fabian wore many hats in both hospitality and education.
A baseball field
Events and Engagement Coordinator
Ellen’s roots are in the mangrove forests and citrus groves of Southwest Florida. While in college, she spent summer breaks waiting tables on a tropical island, caught the “care bug,” and has been working in restaurants ever since. She was drawn to New York in 2008, and her hospitality experience at Union Square Hospitality Group and Eleven Madison Park instilled in her a deep love for the NYC community and a need to get involved. She is thrilled to be working with kids, food, plants and of course, parties.
Bird chili
FoodCorps Service Member, P.S. 109
After studying English and Environmental Studies in Chicago, Elizabeth has returned to New York. After spending time teaching children about farming in upstate New York, she discovered her passion for food and sustainable agriculture. Elizabeth enjoys exploring everything NYC has to offer as well as finding new hiking trails north of the city!
FoodCorps Service Member, Evergreen School for Urban Exploration
Born and bred in New York City, KayJoon hails from Queens, NY and recently graduated with a concentration in Human Rights and Public Policy. She has extensive experience working with youth domestically and abroad, focusing on character development and leadership development. Before serving as a FoodCorps service member with Edible Schoolyard NYC, KayJoon was working in grants and development for nonprofits, and as a fellow with NYC Parks and Recreation where she found her passion for food justice and animal rights.
Yosemite!
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
Emily grew up with her food-obsessed family in Wisconsin. She moved out to Berkeley to study Environmental Science, and then hopped over to Utah to garden with kids in the red rock canyons. She is now thrilled to be gardening here with the kids in New York City!
Beet
Educator/Program Manager,
P.S. 109 and P.S. 311
Ryan comes to NYC from Texas, where he grew up around a family of educators and good food. After attending Columbia University for nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian, Ryan spent time at GrowNYC and Children’s Aid Society working with seed-to-plate and food justice programs. With a background in research, Ryan is as likely to be found reading a journal article as searching for the best new restaurant in town.
The Flavor Bible
Evaluation Manager
Jessie didn’t know that her four years of mandatory agricultural tech classes in school would come in handy. Now with a Master’s in Public Health and nearly ten years of designing, leading, and training others to lead edible education programs with young people, she is delighted to be measuring impact and helping Edible Schoolyard NYC find new ways to make a difference in our school communities. She and her husband are new parents!
Aubergine
Head Garden Manager
Decades after leaving the beaches of Puerto Rico to become a set designer in Barcelona, Mirem switched to garden design (specifically for school gardens) in New York City. She is a mother of two young and experimental cooks.
Elizabeth David: inspiring, evocative, and not at all precise.
We make the connections between food, health, and environment come alive for our students.
Our Board is comprised of dedicated individuals who are deeply committed to Edible Schoolyard NYC’s mission.
Our supporters include nonprofits, foundations, corporate partners, and both the culinary and wellness communities.
