$6 Million for Rooftop Garden & Elevator at Coney Island School

Council Member Mark Treyger was joined by Principal Greta Hawkins of PS 90, The Magnet School for Environmental Studies and Community Wellness, in Coney Island to announce that he secured $6 million dollars in Council funding for a state-of-the-art rooftop garden and ADA-accessible elevator at the school. This discretionary funding is part of the FY22 budget recently passed by the New York City Council on June 30, 2021. The rooftop garden facilities are a part of Council Member Treyger’s larger vision of establishing a district-wide pipeline for real, practical learning skills with a STEAM education focus. 

The Magnet School for Environmental Studies and Community Wellness is a pre-k through fifth-grade school located close to the Atlantic Ocean, serving as a constant reminder to students of their immediate impact on their local environment. PS 90 has developed a robust environmental science and climate change education program based on national science standards. The new learning space will allow expanded access to fresh food and sustainable farming practices for the entire school community with an ADA-accessible elevator for the campus. 

PS 90 is only one of four schools in New York City that practices vegetarianism as part of their commitment to community wellness, healthy living, and sustainability practices while decreasing their carbon footprint. They were able to begin the first steps of their diverse environmental sustainability program by setting up a small temporary garden in front of the school. Students learn about ecosystems, adaptations, and how to plant vegetables. Parent volunteers come weekly to help monitor and care for the garden and after they harvest the produce, it is donated to families and school staff. The brand new rooftop garden and classroom space will allow all of the students to participate in growing healthy, nutritious food year-round with a curriculum focused on establishing sustainable minds, bodies, and environs and integrating farm-to-table practices. 

Earlier this year, PS 90 was selected as a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, the only NYC school, and one of only four schools in New York State and 27 nationwide to receive this honor. In September, Principal Hawkins and students will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to accept their national award and meet with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Cardona. The rooftop garden will help further the goals of the school and allow the students at PS 90 to continue excelling as an environmental studies hub to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles.

“The ability to access fresh, healthy food options shouldn’t be limited by one’s zip code. This state-of-the-art rooftop garden will provide students an opportunity to learn how food is grown, the values of environmental stewardship, and farm-to-table techniques. The produce yielded by the rooftop garden will provide the school community and residents access to fresh, healthy food. The students will also learn about civic responsibility and gain a deeper understanding of the environment, preparing them for a future in protecting our planet from the detrimental effects of climate change. I also want to congratulate PS 90 on their national recognition as a Green Ribbon School and I look forward to visiting the brand new rooftop garden once completed,” said Council Education Chair Mark Treyger (Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend, Sea Gate). 

“Councilman Treyger has made it his priority always to engage in productive dialogue with members of school communities and act in demonstrative ways to support their goals. That is his modus operandi. It was not too surprising to receive the news of a state-of-the-art rooftop garden and ADA-accessible elevator. The garden will be the crowning achievement of the work by our school community to engage and make a difference in sustainable practices. We will forever be indebted to Councilman Treyger for his service to South Brooklyn – one marked by compassion, grace, and foresight,” said Greta Hawkins, Principal, PS 90 – The Magnet School for Environmental Studies and Community Wellness.