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THE SYLVIA CENTER
BRONX, NY · EIN 204297703 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE K40 · Food, Agriculture & Nutrition · Medium ($1M-$10M)
revenue
$1.9M
expenses
$2.2M
net assets
$984K
employees
59
volunteers
24
program ratio
79%
mission · from form 990

THE SYLVIA CENTER'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES THROUGH CULINARY PROGRAMMING TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Sylvia Center is a New York-based nonprofit focused on educating young people and families through culinary programming to promote health and well-being. Its core initiatives include a teen culinary apprenticeship that teaches plant-based cooking and nutrition, along with hands-on learning at a farm-based educational garden. The organization operates primarily in the Bronx and upstate New York, emphasizing food justice, professional development, and community-based food education.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $250K
    TEEN CULINARY APPRENTICESHIP:THE TEEN CULINARY APPRENTICESHIP IS A 16-WEEK CULINARY PROGRAM, USING THE SYLVIA CENTER'S CORE, PLANT-BASED CURRICULUM, DURING WHICH STUDENTS DEVELOP FOUNDATIONAL CULINARY SKILLS AND LEARN ABOUT THE ROLE OF NUTRITION IN PRESERVING GOOD HEALTH. THE PROGRAM CULMINATES IN AN APPRENTICESHIP THAT PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. APPRENTICES SERVE AS CHEF INSTRUCTORS FOR YOUTH CULINARY PROGRAMMING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES OR PARTICIPATE IN INDUSTRY-RELATED WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
  2. #2 $146K
    LEARNING GARDEN AT KATCHKIE FARM: THE LEARNING GARDEN ON KATCHKIE FARM, THE SYLVIA CENTER'S UPSTATE AGRICULTURAL HOMEBASE, CONSISTS OF GARDEN BEDS, AN OUTDOOR COOKING PAVILION, AND AN ACTIVITY/DINING SECTION. STUDENTS WHO VISIT THE LEARNING GARDEN LEARN HOW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE GROWN, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HARVEST AND TASTE THE PLANTS GROWING THERE, AND UTILIZE THE COOKING STATION, LED BY A CHEF EDCUATOR, TO MAKE A HEALTHY DISH USING INGREDIENTS THEY PICKED THEMSELVES.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Fresh Meal Fund Program
Emergency meal distribution initiative launched during the pandemic to provide meals to healthcare workers.
Full Plate
Program for young children focusing on building kitchen confidence and understanding the connection between food and its origins, often paired with visits to the Learning Garden at Katchkie Farm.
Learning Garden at Katchkie Farm
Educational farm program where students learn about agriculture, harvest produce, and prepare healthy meals using ingredients they picked, guided by chef educators.
Teen Culinary Apprenticeship
16-week program teaching foundational culinary skills and nutrition to teens aged 16–18 using a plant-based curriculum; includes paid apprenticeships as chef instructors or work-based learning in the food industry.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Youth and Family Cooking Education 3 activities
    • Delivers hands-on cooking and nutrition education programs for youth
      Provides 6–12 week tailored, plant-based cooking and nutrition education programs for youth ages 2–24 through partnerships with schools and community organizations, serving nearly 4,000 students annually.
    • Distributes free meal kits and offers guided family cooking classes
      Provides free meal kits with fresh, local ingredients to feed families of 4–6, paired with guided cooking classes offered on-site or virtually to promote healthy eating at home.
    • Manages the Learning Garden at Katchkie Farm for food education
      Operates a one-acre Learning Garden in Kinderhook, NY, where students learn food cultivation, harvest over 150 varieties of produce, and prepare healthy dishes under the guidance of chef educators.
  • Plant-Based Nutrition Education & Support Programs 1 activity
    • Offers corporate volunteer and cooking programs
      Offers hands-on plant-based cooking classes and volunteer initiatives for corporate partners to engage in mission-aligned team-building activities.
  • Culinary Workforce Training Programs 1 activity
    • Operates Teen Culinary Apprenticeship and job readiness programs
      Runs a 16-week Teen Culinary Apprenticeship and a 20-week job readiness program for teens ages 16–18, teaching plant-based culinary skills, nutrition, and professional development, with apprentices serving as chef instructors or participating in work-based learning.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Provides emergency meals to healthcare workers
      Delivered emergency meals to healthcare workers through the Fresh Meal Fund Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Strengthens operations of mission-driven organizations
      Supports mission-driven organizations in strengthening operations, growing impact, and navigating organizational change through capacity-building initiatives.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.93M
Contributions & grants$1.53M80%
Program service revenue$362K19%
Investment income$28K1%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$2.18M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$1.72M
Grants paid out$28K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.13M
Cash$129K
Investments$569K
Liabilities$143K
Net assets$984K
Liquid reserves3.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +6.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
BARBARA A GLASSMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $222K
board members · 17
  • ADRIEN RIOS — DIRECTOR
  • ANITA SIBONY DE ADELSBERG — DIRECTOR
  • AYESHA NURDJAJA — DIRECTOR
  • CHAIM WACHSBERGER — DIRECTOR
  • CYNTHIA EDELSON — PRESIDENT
  • ERIC SCHROECK — DIRECTOR
  • JEAN-ROBERT ANDRE — DIRECTOR
  • LIZBETH NEUMARK — FOUNDER
  • LYNN COLE — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL POLLACK — DIRECTOR
  • NINA FREEDMAN — VICE PRESIDENT
  • PETER MENSCH — DIRECTOR
  • PHIL MELDRUM — DIRECTOR
  • PHILLIP GRANT — DIRECTOR
  • SCOTT MILLSTEIN — TREASURER
  • TARA GENDELMAN — CHAIR
  • TRUDY ELBAUM GOTTESMAN — SECRETARY
relationships · 9

Who they work with

  • Barbara Glassman Partner — Executive Director serving as contact for corporate volunteer partnerships.
  • DREAM Partner — Rachel Cytron previously served as Associate Executive Director, indicating a professional leadership connection.
  • Katchkie Farm Partner — Hosts The Learning Garden at its site in Kinderhook, NY for student gardening and cooking education.
  • Katchkie Farm Partner — Hosts The Sylvia Center's Learning Garden and serves as its upstate agricultural homestead for youth education programs.
  • Partnership with Children Partner — Rachel Cytron previously served as Chief Operating Officer, indicating a professional leadership connection.
  • Rachel Ray’s Yum-o! Organization Partner — Supported the implementation of The NYCHA Cooks for Health Program.
  • Row New York Partner — Rachel Cytron previously served as Executive Director, indicating a professional leadership connection.
  • The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City Partner — Supported the implementation of The NYCHA Cooks for Health Program.
  • Youth INC Partner — Proud partner of The Sylvia Center
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.

  • Food Education for Youth Development and Behavior Change
    methodology: food-education-for-youth-development
    By using cooking and plant-based nutrition education as a vehicle, we build confidence and instill lifelong healthy habits in young people and families, because skill-building in a supportive context empowers individuals to make lasting dietary changes.
  • Garden-to-Table Experiential Learning
    methodology: farm-to-table experiential learning
    By integrating hands-on gardening with cooking education using harvested ingredients, we strengthen children's understanding of food systems and healthy eating, because direct experience fosters deeper engagement and lasting behavioral change.
  • Peer-Led Education and Leadership Development
    methodology: peer-led education
    By training teens to teach younger peers through a culinary apprenticeship model, we reinforce their own learning and build leadership skills, because teaching others deepens mastery and creates pathways to workforce integration.
  • Work-Based Learning for Teen Workforce Integration
    methodology: work-based_learning_for_teens
    By providing structured, experiential culinary training, we prepare teens for career pathways in food and hospitality, because practical skill-building combined with leadership opportunities fosters confidence and employability.