Teens for Food Justice Email Format
Civic and Social OrganizationsUnited States11-50 Employees
Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) builds and operates high-capacity, in-school hydroponic farms in New York City Title I middle and high schools—galvanizing a youth-led food justice movement to ensure all New Yorkers, especially those in low-income communities of color, have year-round access to fresh, healthy food. Students ages 12 to 18 are trained to build and manage these farms, which produce up to 10,000 pounds of produce annually. The food is served in school cafeterias and distributed to families and local residents. Our farm-in-school model transforms campuses into community hubs for food access, nutrition education, and wellness. Students gain hands-on training in STEM, health, and food systems advocacy, becoming peer educators and local leaders. TFFJ addresses one of NYC’s most urgent challenges: the lack of healthy, affordable food in historically underserved neighborhoods. More than 1 in 4 NYC children live in food-insecure households, and diet-related illnesses disproportionately affect communities of color. Through student-powered farming and real-world education, TFFJ is growing the next generation of advocates working to build a more just and equitable food system—starting in their own schools and neighborhoods.