named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Bee Ambassadors
Summer high school apprenticeship program through SYEP that engages youth in beekeeping and environmental stewardship.
Farm Workshops
Educational field trips for K-12 classes held at Brooklyn Grange’s rooftop farms in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Sunset Park, focusing on urban ecology, farming, and sustainability.
Free Family Farm Days
Free public events at the Sunset Park rooftop farm featuring activities for youth and families, including scavenger hunts, crafts, and farm tours.
In-School Workshops and Partnerships
City Growers educators visit schools to lead hands-on workshops in classrooms, school gardens, or playgrounds on topics like urban ecology, honeybees, and composting.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 2 activities
- Family and community engagement eventsHosts two annual Family Farm Day events at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, featuring hands-on activities such as scavenger hunts, farm tours, and exploration of worms and beehives. Also offers regular Farm Workshops three days per week from April through October at two rooftop farm locations.
- Youth environmental education through urban agricultureImplements a standards-aligned, original curriculum using rooftop farms, school gardens, and public parks as living laboratories to provide experiential learning for K-12 students on food systems, urban farming, composting, pollination, and environmental stewardship. Programs are delivered through on-farm field trips, in-school workshops, and long-term school partnerships across New York City.
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Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
- Corporate and seasonal volunteer programsOrganizes corporate volunteer days and seasonal volunteer projects (in April/May and November) involving cover crop management, composting, tilling, and planting. Hosts four corporate volunteer days annually across two rooftop farm locations, integrating volunteer efforts into urban farming operations while connecting participants to nature.
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Youth Workforce Development in Food & Environment 1 activity
- Youth apprenticeship and workforce development programsRuns paid apprenticeship programs for high school students focused on urban farming, beekeeping, food systems, and climate solutions, including the six-week summer Bee Ambassadors program and the Spring/Fall Green Ambassadors after-school program. Apprentices are compensated at or above minimum wage ($16.50/hour) and gain skills and exposure to green careers in support of the green economy.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$558K
Contributions & grants$501K90%
Program service revenue$57K10%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$660K
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising22%
Salaries & benefits$492K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$209K
Cash$79K
Investments$0
Liabilities$34K
Net assets$175K
Liquid reserves1.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -14.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBECCA DI MEO | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $84K |
board members · 14
- ALEXANDRA KULE — DIRECTOR
- ALISON MEYERS — DIRECTOR
- ANGELES PEREZ — DIRECTOR
- AYISHA KALIN — DIRECTOR
- EFRAT KUSSELL — BOARD CHAIR
- EMILY YAN — BOARD TREASU
- GISELA GARRETT — DIRECTOR
- JACOB WYLIE — BOARD SECRET
- MARGARET DAWSON — DIRECTOR
- MARGAUX SEWARD — DIRECTOR
- PATRICK WHITEHEAD — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD VARGHESE — DIRECTOR
- SOPHIA PIRRO — DIRECTOR
- THEODORE PHILLIPS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- 1% for the Planet Funder — Provides financial support to City Growers
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Collaborates with Brooklyn Grange to deliver educational programming on rooftop farms.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Collaborates with Brooklyn Grange to host Family Farm Day events at their Sunset Park rooftop farm.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Founded City Growers in 2011 to explore the educational potential of its rooftop farm; original connection enabling free youth tours and curriculum development.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Hosts City Growers' Farm Workshops and Family Farm Days on its rooftop farms.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Hosts City Growers' youth apprenticeship programs at its Navy Yard and Sunset Park Farms.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Provides programming on Brooklyn Grange’s rooftop farms; shares founding leadership and maintains a permanent board seat for a Brooklyn Grange representative.
- Brooklyn Grange Partner — Provides rooftop farm spaces for City Growers' programs and volunteer activities.
- Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farms Partner — Hosts City Growers' on-farm field trips at its Brooklyn Navy Yard and Sunset Park locations.
- New York City Council Government — Provides public funds that make City Growers programming possible
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funding that supports City Growers programs
- New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Government — Supports City Growers programs through public funding
- New York City Department of Youth and Community Development Government — Supports City Growers through public funding
- Teachers College, Columbia University Partner — Collaborates with City Growers through the Food Ed Hub initiative
- Youth INC Partner — Named as a program partner supporting City Growers
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Equity-Centered Access and Resource Redistributionmethodology: equity-focused_programmingBy targeting under-resourced youth, using sliding-scale pricing, and subsidizing participation through cross-subsidization, we increase access to environmental education because equitable access models counteract historical inequities in green space and education resource distribution.
- Experiential Environmental Educationmethodology: experiential_learningBy using urban agriculture and real farm environments as hands-on learning sites, we foster youth connections to food, health, and nature because direct, movement-based engagement deepens understanding and builds personal agency in environmental stewardship.
- Paid Youth Workforce Developmentmethodology: workforce_developmentBy paying youth a living wage during apprenticeships, we remove economic barriers to participation and foster meaningful engagement in green jobs training because compensating youth enables inclusion of those who otherwise could not afford to participate.
- Youth Environmental Leadership Developmentmethodology: youth_environmental_leadershipBy equipping young people with environmental knowledge and skills through progressive, responsibility-building programming, we cultivate long-term stewardship and leadership because early investment in youth agency leads to sustained civic and ecological engagement.