QCH kicks off a new semester of Youth Food Justice Leadership programming

This spring, QCH kicked off a new semester of Youth Food Justice Leadership (YFJL) programming for participants at our Beacons at P.S. 149  and at M.S. 210.The program inspires middle and high school students to become leaders in their communities through weekly afterschool activities and local service learning projects focused on food justice. 

Subaita Tufayel, a middle school student at M.S. 210, joined the program when saw a flyer on her classroom door.

"I joined the Food Justice program because I thought it seemed really cool,” she said. “I don’t like fast food restaurants, but every morning I see people eating there, and it bothers me. It’s unhealthy, and I believe obesity is a serious issue.”

Another participant, said “When I first started, I didn't know anything about food justice. Now, I think it’s really interesting because we focus on Ozone Park, my neighborhood. We learn, for example, why certain neighborhoods have Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and others don’t.”

"Participants spend each session working towards a culminating project," said YFJL Coordinator, John Pili. "Most recently, Subaita and her group produced a community public service announcement (PSA) using local maps and data to detail Ozone Park's rates of high obesity and low consumption of produce."

The program, which launched in September 2018, is made possible by the generous support of the Levitt Foundation and the Department of Youth and Community Development.