Hands-On Cooking, Growing & Sustainability Education for NYC Schools
Students explore cooking, nutrition, growing food, sustainability, and climate awareness through immersive, real-world classroom learning experiences.
Tastemakers
Food Explorers
Family Table
Sensory Kitchen
Edible Kitchen
Sun, Soil, Sky
Edible Kitchen
A classroom-based seed-to-plate program that brings cooking, sustainability, and food systems education to life through hands-on learning.
Program Overview
Edible Kitchen is Foodstream LEARN’s hands-on cooking, growing, and sustainability program that helps students explore the connection between food, health, food systems, and the environment through immersive classroom experiences. No kitchen or garden required.
Through hands-on lessons, students explore growing food, healthy cooking, sustainability, food waste reduction, composting, seed-to-plate learning, and climate-conscious habits while building confidence, teamwork, wellness, and environmental awareness.
The program can also support schools participating in sustainability initiatives, Climate Action projects, and Food Waste Prevention or Share Table programs.
Our class loved all three sessions, they were excited and engaged throughout all lessons!
The educator was clear and provides precise expectations.
Anastasia does a fantastic job relating to the students and they really enjoy coming to her classes. We hope to have y'all back in an even bigger capacity next year!
Great experience, timed perfectly, all yummy!
Program Details
Suitable for grades K–8, with in-school and after-school formats available. Ideal for schools exploring wellness, sustainability, STEM, food systems, or Climate Action learning initiatives — no kitchen or garden required.
- Grades K–8
- In-school or after-school formats
- Flexible classroom-based setup
- Single workshops or multi-week residencies
- Curriculum, equipment & ingredients included
- Supports wellness & sustainability initiatives
- Adaptable for indoor or outdoor learning
- Delivered by experienced Foodstream LEARN educators 🌱
Topics Include
- Hands-on cooking & nutrition
- Sustainability & climate awareness
- Food systems & seed-to-plate learning
- Food waste reduction & composting ♻️
- Healthy habits & wellness
- Seasonal & culturally relevant recipes
- Teamwork & practical life skills
- Environmental stewardship & community impact
- Interactive classroom learning experiences 🌱
Format
- Curriculum & all materials included
- Available in-person across NYC public schools
- Designed for classrooms, cafeterias & multipurpose spaces
- Indoor growing kits, culinary tools & ingredients provided
- No kitchen or garden required
Sample lesson plan
“Garden Stir-Fry”
Objective: Students will understand the life cycle of vegetables from seed to plate, and gain confidence in preparing and enjoying a healthy meal they helped grow.
Garden Time: Students harvest bokchoy, scallions, and fresh herbs directly from the school garden, making the connection between what they grow and what they eat.
Activities
Hands-on prep: Working together, students chop the vegetables and sauté them with garlic and sesame oil, practicing safe kitchen skills and learning how simple ingredients become flavorful meals.
Team Discussion: As the stir-fry cooks, students reflect on the question: “What nutrients do we get from these ingredients, and why do they matter for our health?”
Reflection: Students complete a short journal entry on how it felt to eat something they grew themselves, building awareness of the connection between effort, growth, and nourishment.
Bring The Joy of Hands-On Learning
Back to Your School
