Program Manager
P.S./M.S. 7 and P.S. 216
Jasmin joins Edible Schoolyard NYC with a background in biology and environmental education. In her spare time, you can find her weeding in the garden and collecting bugs. She hopes to continue learning the recipes that her parents grew up with, and to share them with students and friends.
Elephant garlic
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 109
Selwyn is a native New Yorker who was raised and currently resides in Harlem. In August, he began his first year at ESYNYC through FoodCorps. In the past, he has had careers in Information Technology, Construction, & Warehouse Logistics, and is excited to start exploring Health and Wellness. Selwyn’s goal is to encourage wellness in youth through healthy eating, which is how he crossed paths with ESYNYC. In his spare time he enjoys playing/watching sports, listening to music, experiencing nature, and letting his imagination run wild.
Potato
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Director of Education & Quality
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.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Director of School Programs
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.
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Garden and Kitchen Educator,
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
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden and Kitchen Educator,
P.S. 216
Originally from Houston, TX, Hannah is new to New York City and is very excited to join the ESYNYC team. Hannah loves cooking, gardening, being outdoors, and eating dark chocolate chips by the handful. Prior to joining the P.S.216 team, Hannah attended college in Maine and taught workshops on urban farms in Brooklyn.
Sweet Potato
Pronouns: She/They/Them
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 311
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, Carolyn is an avid hiker and steward of environmental justice with an emphasis in supporting accessible foodways. She is a graduate of Culinary Institute of America where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Food Studies. When not serving with FoodCorps, Carolyn enjoys cooking for family and friends!
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Educator/Program Manager,
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration and Brooklyn Gardens Elementary
Leonisa has almost a decade of experience designing, teaching and managing youth centered food education programs in New York City. Leonisa is passionate about providing students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the interconnectedness between food, culture and history. She spent 4 years as a Kitchen teacher and is currently a Program Manager with Edible Schoolyard NYC. A native New Yorker, Leonisa has always enjoyed cooking, discovering new restaurants and spending time around the table with friends and family.
The beach
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden and Kitchen Educator
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration
Paloma is a proud native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens. After earning two Bachelor’s degrees, a BA in psychology from NYU and a BS in nutrition and dietetics from Queens College, Paloma is looking forward to bringing her knowledge to her role as Garden and Kitchen Educator in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her enthusiasm for food and nutrition, are a big part of what have brought her to Edible Schoolyard NYC, where she’s excited to share her passion for food and nutrition to NYC students. In her free time she can be found enjoying all the amazing food the city has to offer.
Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden and Kitchen Educator
P.S./M.S. 7
Prior to Edible Schoolyard NYC, they received their degree in Environmental Studies and taught environmental learning in nature preserves. In their spare time they love to cook new dishes, take their dog on hikes (letting her get as muddy as she wants), and work on their amateur woodworking skills.
Sweet Potato
Pronouns: She/They/Them
Finance and Operations Manager
Silaka is a native Brooklynite who has been working with nonprofits for nearly a decade. During this time, she helped build a half acre community garden and has provided fiscal support to nearly two dozen organizations. Silaka is passionate about access to food, especially for New Yorkers living in isolated and underserved communities, which drew her to ESYNYC’s mission.
Red Onion
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Executive Director
Shanon is a registered dietitian who has dedicated her career to working with communities to make to make nutrition relatable, accessible, and enjoyable for all, and was named by Hunter College as one of 40 under 40 rising stars in New York City food policy in 2020 . She is also the author of MC Veggie Rocks the Mic, a children’s book that mixes nutrition and hip-hop to make learning about food, healthy habits, and cooking fun. She is a proud alumna of Howard University and Columbia University, where she studied both Nutrition and Exercise Science.
On a beach, eating a fresh mango
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Senior Manager, Donor Engagement
Ellen’s roots are in the mangrove forests and citrus groves of Southwest Florida. 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, food justice and a need to get involved.
Bird chili
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Educator/Program Manager,
Bronx Network Sites
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
Pronouns: He/Him/His
FoodCorps Service Member
Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School
Neida was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She attended the University of Arizona where she got her BA in Anthropology and gained inspirational research experience around food and culture. She is now working on her Masters in Applied Anthropology through an online program with the University of North Texas. Neida recently moved to NYC and loves it thus far. On her free time she loves to be outside whether that is hiking, running, or just walking around the city. She also enjoys taking dance classes, drawing, taking pictures with her film camera, and watching movies at the Nitehawk movie theater.
Cherry Tomato
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
FoodCorps Service Member
Brighter Choice Community School
Raili, originally from western Massachusetts, graduated from Macalester College in May 2021 where she studied Environmental Studies, Educational Studies, and Community and Global Health. She has extensive experience with children and interned with multiple environmental nonprofits during her four years in Minnesota. In her free time Raili loves spending time outdoors, spending time with family and friends, making art, snacking, and exploring new places.
Hiking in the woods!
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
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.
Cocina Criolla, the classic by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli – my grandmother cooked from this book.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Vice President of Development & External Affairs
Over the last seventeen years, Neysa has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations whose missions serve to support and expand equity, access, and opportunities for young people in New York City and beyond. Most recently, she led the external affairs team at Teach For America New York and the development team at NAF, formerly the National Academy Foundation. Neysa lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Reading “nooks” with my kids
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
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.
