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Seeds in the Middle, named by 4th graders, inspires parents, educators, students and their community to access all opportunities beginning with improving their health, enhancing arts education and greening their environment. We are joyful, respectful, educational and engaging. We nurture the whole child.
Our innovative strategy to overcome health, educational and food inequity initiates at schools. We empower and educate all to get healthy and scale disparities. Our pilot Hip2B Healthy schools are in central Brooklyn, a neighborhood with one of New York City's highest obesity, diabetes, heart disease and premature death rates. Our programs are models for replication.
We believe sustainable solutions to inequity are local and healthy eating is a civil right.
We have created and run community and student-run farm markets, gardens, soccer and fitness programs in low-income, food-insecure neighborhoods since 2010. We are proud to boast that our first focus 4th grade class test scores in 2012 surpassed the citywide average; and our partner students build achievement through hands-on learning with cooking, farm stands, entrepreneurship, food justice, Hip2B Healthy Cafes, growing and more.
At Seeds in the Middle, we partner with faculty. We teach how to grow, market, access and prepare nutritious food, how to exercise and engage in the arts, all the elements needed to promote life-changing lifelong health. Our partners come from all walks of life: chefs, athletes, educators, artists, builders and more. We cross cultures. We transform gray into green, destitution into inspiration.
See the map of where we've been, where we are and who wants us here!
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Testimonials
 Solomon Long, Former Public School Principal, in spring 2009 wrote
I have been a principal in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for nineteen years. I was born and raised in Crown Heights. I was quite concerned when NY1 showed the statistics on where the highest obesity was in the city. Read more...
Students say:
"I love working at Seeds in the Middle because I get to plant and be a part of a group of people who are trying to change the world. I learned that Seeds in the Middle is not just about planting and being healthy, it is to fight bad things that crawl into people such as cancer," said one fourth grader. "I want more people to help us out because it does not hurt for a couple of more hands to come in. "Read more here
See what we reported to the Aetna Foundation, our first grantor!
“Seeds in the Middle, named by fourth graders, proves that challenged communities at the
heart of the obesity epidemic can be empowered to change their unhealthy environment, and
boost academic achievement, if provided adequate support and resources. This multi-faceted,
grassroots strategy transformed a school in low-income central Brooklyn, where over 95% of
students receive free or reduced lunch, from being ignorant of links between food and fitness to
good health to becoming active advocates for positive change. Read entire report here!
Grantors
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