named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Children's Garden at Hamilton Metz Park
Community garden project co-founded with Kaboom and family of Farmer Roy Hildebrant to provide green space and gardening education in Crown Heights.
Green Room Gardening
Indoor gardening initiative using grow tables to teach math and science through hands-on planting and measurement activities.
Hip2B Healthy Market
Student-run fresh food markets in Brooklyn that accept EBT/SNAP and offer incentive programs like Health Bucks and Hip2B Healthy Bucks to increase access to nutritious food.
Hip2B Healthy Schools
Program integrating gardening, cooking, nutrition education, and fitness into school curricula to improve student health and academic outcomes.
Tastes of Brooklyn
Food and drink crawl events that support local eateries while raising funds and awareness for youth health and food justice programs.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Youth and Family Cooking Education 1 activity
- Delivering nutrition education and healthy cooking programsProvides hands-on culinary classes, cooking demonstrations, and workshops using fresh foods for students during school hours and families in evening sessions. Partners with chefs and volunteers to teach healthy meal preparation, including fruit parfaits and vegetable patties, and supports school chefs in improving meal appeal.
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Youth Health and Wellness Education 1 activity
- Establishing school health and wellness committeesFounded the Hip2B Healthy Committee at PS 91 to promote healthy lifestyles through curriculum integration, fundraising, and community engagement initiatives that sustain long-term wellness programming in schools.
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School and School-Community Events 1 activity
- Hosting community engagement and family education eventsOrganizes monthly parent breakfasts, after-school community events (e.g., Master Chef dinner parties, movie nights), and health-focused gatherings that bring together youth, families, and visiting groups for gardening, cooking, and wellness activities.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Offering professional development and capacity building for educatorsConducts professional development days and training for teachers and school staff on topics including nutrition, gardening, healthy eating, and environmental education in partnership with institutions like NYU and Cornell University.
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Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
- Operating school-based edible gardens and indoor growing programsInstalls and maintains indoor and outdoor edible gardens in public schools, including custom-built planting tables and worm composting systems, to support hands-on education in nutrition, science, math, and environmental stewardship. Engages all students and staff at partner schools such as PS 91 and PS 221 in classroom-based gardening.
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Youth Soccer Development Programs 1 activity
- Organizing physical fitness and sports programs for youth and familiesRuns soccer leagues, track programs (including NYC Roadrunners 'Mighty Milers'), dance residencies, and other sports activities during and after school, engaging over 300 children and parents. Trains parents as coaches and partners with organizations like Bike New York for citywide events.
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Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
- Providing arts and cultural enrichment programs in schoolsPartners with the Metropolitan Opera Guild to deliver weekly music instruction and keyboard lessons for K–2 students, organizes field trips to performances, and hosts professional dance residencies and intensive art/architecture programs that include scholarship opportunities.
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Local Food Market Operation 1 activity
- Running student-operated markets and farmstands for fresh produceOperates the Hip2B Healthy Market and student-run farmstands at schools like PS-IS 178 and Hamilton Metz Park, where youth sell fresh, affordable produce from local farmers and student-grown crops. Teaches children business, marketing, and economics skills while increasing community access to healthy food.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Supporting emergency food distribution during crisesDistributed fresh fruits and vegetables to neighbors in Boerum Hill during the Covid-19 pandemic through partnerships with PS 38 and community members, ensuring continued access to nutritious food during public health emergencies.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$283K
Contributions & grants$279K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$4K1%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$273K
Program expenses97%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$155K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$56K
Cash$38K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1K
Net assets$55K
Liquid reserves1.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +45.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy Katz | director | 0 | $144K |
board members · 3
- Phyllis Marcus — director
- Solomon Long — director
- errol rose — director
relationships · 75
Who they work with
- Aetna Foundation Funder — Provided grants and financial support to Seeds in the Middle.
- Beth's Farm Kitchen Partner — Contributed food items for student-run farmstand fundraisers.
- Bike New York Partner — Collaborates on youth cycling participation and events.
- Bike New York Partner — Partnered on physical fitness and youth engagement programs.
- Bike New York Partner — Sponsoring student participation in the five-borough bike tour to promote physical fitness.
- Bronx Health Reach Funder — Provided grants and financial support to Seeds in the Middle.
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden Partner — Partner for field trips and gardening education.
- Brooklyn Botanical Garden Partner — Supported garden development and environmental education.
- Brooklyn News 12 Partner — Media partner that has covered Seeds in the Middle activities.
- Carnegie Hall Partner — Partnered on arts programming initiatives.
- Citizens Committee of New York City Funder — Provided grants and financial support to Seeds in the Middle.
- Cornell University Partner — Professors and experts volunteered to help create an integrated curriculum linking nutrition with academic subjects.
- Cornell University Partner — Provides expert guidance for curriculum development in gardening and nutrition.
- Cornell University Partner — Provides professional development training in healthy school food and environmental education.
- Cornell University Agriculture in the Classroom Partner — Provided professional development support in agricultural education.
- Costco Partner — Food donor supporting Seeds in the Middle programs.
- Council for the Environment of New York City Partner — Co-founded the Youthmarket program in Crown Heights.
- Dr. Kracker Partner — Donor supporting the HIP2B Healthy Market program.
- Fishs Eddy Partner — Donated 72 sets of china for educational dinner parties on healthy cooking.
- GreenThumb, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Partner — Supported garden development efforts in partnership with Seeds in the Middle.
- Greenmarket Partner — Partner in creating the Youthmarket in Crown Heights.
- Greenmarket’s Youthmarket Partner — Collaborating to launch a youth-focused market providing affordable fresh food.
- Home Depot Funder — Donated materials and built custom indoor growing tables for classroom gardening at Public School 91.
- Home Depot Partner — Custom-built 44 indoor planting tables for classroom use.
- Home Depot Partner — Custom-built 44 planting tables for classrooms and supported the edible garden.
- Home Depot Partner — Provided support by building a planting table for every classroom.
- Home Depot Partner — Supplied materials and support for building school gardens and garden infrastructure.
- Home Depot Partner — Supported garden development and infrastructure needs.
- Home Depot Partner — Supported school garden development at PS 221 and PS 91 in Crown Heights.
- Institute for Integrative Nutrition Funder — Provided grants and financial support to Seeds in the Middle.
+ 45 more
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.
- Experiential Food and Health Educationmethodology: experiential_learningBy engaging students in hands-on cooking, gardening, and inquiry-based learning with chefs and educators, we improve nutrition knowledge and healthy behaviors because experiential methods make abstract concepts tangible and increase retention and behavior change.
- Food Justice as Civil Rights Advocacymethodology: food-justice-advocacyBy framing access to fresh food as a civil right and mobilizing public campaigns and petitions for community farm stands, we advance structural change because positioning food equity as a justice issue activates civic engagement and policy responsiveness.
- Integrated Health and Academic Curriculummethodology: integrated_curriculumBy embedding nutrition, physical activity, and environmental education into core academic subjects and school-based enterprises like student-run markets, we improve both health and academic outcomes because integrated learning reinforces knowledge across contexts and increases relevance for students.
- Parent and Community Empowerment through Skill-Building and Mentorshipmethodology: parent_empowermentBy equipping parents in underprivileged communities with advocacy, fundraising, and organizational skills—and connecting them with peer mentors from wealthier schools—we strengthen community capacity and educational equity because empowered caregivers become sustainable change agents within their schools and neighborhoods.