This year Foodstream has partnered with the New York City Office of Energy & Sustainability (OES) to implement a hands-on, school-based sustainability initiative delivered simultaneously across New York City public schools. Participating schools are part of a citywide Foodstream cohort, working toward shared goals and a common endpoint: NYC Climate Action Day: April 22, 2026. The sustainability program combines age and ability appropriate classroom learning activities with coordination through the Foodstream Network, helping schools learn from one another while keeping the workload manageable.
The OES has a developed an integrated program to promote sustainable practices in City schools. Below is an outline of their mission and objectives:
“The Office of Energy & Sustainability drives transformative change in all NYC Public Schools through resources and programs that increase efficiency of facilities, address environmental impacts, and provide all stakeholders with opportunities for action. Education is integral to our work to deliver purposeful and comprehensive stakeholder engagement, greater climate resiliency, expanded climate literacy, and opportunities for student empowerment to better ensure social equity and a healthy environment for all generations.
Our Commitments
- Improving school buildings by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, maximizing waste diversion and creating green spaces for better learning outcomes and healthy communities.
- Engaging all schools in an equitable and inclusive way to create positive, lasting changes.
- Creating meaningful learning experiences for all regardless of prior knowledge—recognizing that systemic change is best accomplished through developing coalitions and communities.
- Developing new approaches, partnerships, and implementing technologies to drive school facility improvements and address dynamic community needs in a changing climate.
Our Goals
Education Awareness & Engagement: Support schools, principals and teachers with the resources to integrate climate and sustainability education into curriculum. Visit our Sustainability Hub(Open external link) for educational resources.
Energy Management: Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through various energy efficiency programs that improve building performance.
Waste Reduction & Recycling: Complete the expansion of Curbside Compost to all K-12 NYC Public Schools by the 2023-24 school year.
Gardens and Outdoor Learning: Promote indoor and outdoor gardening to increase wellness and social-emotional learning.”
The Foodstream Sustainability Program will focus on building lifelong skills in nutrition, wellness, and environmental consciousness. Key to the curriculum is its attention to sustainability, addressing food waste prevention, composting, and cafeteria waste awareness, all of which align with the Office of Energy & Sustainability’s initiatives.
The core of the program unfolds across a four-week period, following a virtual onboarding session. Each week includes age-appropriate, hands-on activities that emphasize participation, reflection, and real-world action, rather than tests or grades. The weekly focus areas include:
- Seed to System: Introducing sustainability through growing food, understanding the food system, and planting microgreens.
- From Seed to Plate to Waste: Connecting food preparation to waste reduction by preparing a simple plant-forward dish, identifying edible food versus scraps, and observing waste patterns at school.
- From Scraps to Soil / Food Access & Sharing: Offering deep dives into composting and circular food systems, or linking sustainability to food access, sharing, and community wellbeing.
- Planning for Climate Action Day: Reflecting on learning and selecting one clear, school-specific sustainability action to execute on Climate Action Day.
This program is unique in that it offers students an opportunity to learn about sustainability in a multi-dimensional, interactive and fun environment. Students will see that their individual actions toward sustainability can make a difference in their health and well being and that through collective action we can make a positive impact on our communities, future generations and the planet.
Foodstream LEARN provides hands-on cooking and gardening programs for K–12 students across all five boroughs. Our in-school and afterschool programs build lifelong skills in nutrition, wellness, and environmental stewardship. For more information about our LEARN programs go to Foodstream or email us at support@foodstreamnetwork.com
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