TFFJ Spotlight: Candice Green
Schools at the Center of Food Security
Candice Green’s approach to her role is straightforward: if a student or family needs it, it should be available inside the school building. As Community School Director at Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology (QIRT), she builds programs that reduce barriers and keep essential services on campus, including QIRT Grab & Go, a pantry at the Far Rockaway Educational Campus (FREC) that serves up to 120 families each week.
“Our goal is to provide to the community, but provide it within the school,” Candice explains. “We don’t want students missing school or not having a particular service to go out and get it. Everything is here that you need.”
Education That Feeds the Community
In 2021, FREC received funding for their Teens for Food Justice hydroponic farm. TFFJ operates the farm, develops the curriculum, and manages crop production. What students grow upstairs moves directly into pantry bags downstairs, creating a direct connection between education and food distribution.
The partnership strengthens the pantry in concrete ways. When TFFJ donates fresh produce, United Community Schools can redirect funds toward more expensive grocery items such as meat and poultry. Families receive more balanced support, and the produce often includes herbs and greens that are not always easily available in nearby stores.
Students Leading the Work
The students behind that harvest are not just participants; Candice has watched them grow into leaders. During the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), several students worked in the hydroponic farm and proudly shared what they had cultivated. That sense of ownership extends into distribution days, where students explain what they grew and how it was produced.
“They’re passionate about things such as growing plants and fresh vegetables. They are knowledgeable,” Candice says.
Their expertise reshapes how youth are perceived in the building, too. School staff members ask questions about the greens being packed. Families engage students in conversation. The farm makes youth expertise visible.
Shifting Expectations Around Food
Far Rockaway’s food environment is defined largely by what isn’t there. Fast food and corner stores are prevalent. Full supermarkets may require travel many families can’t manage. A hydroponic farm inside a school building puts fresh produce where families can actually reach it.
Candice notices the difference in student behavior. Teenagers now ask what produce will be included in the next pantry distribution and whether the farm harvest has arrived.
“They always say, ‘What are we getting from the farm? Are the vegetables coming?’” she shares. “To be a teenager and you’re asking, ‘Are the vegetables coming?’ I think that speaks volumes.”
Fresh food is no longer abstract. It is something families can count on.
A Partnership That Strengthens the System
United Community Schools works with multiple food partners. What distinguishes TFFJ, in Candice’s experience, is the depth of coordination and presence. TFFJ staff provide updates about planting cycles and student engagement, and they remain present in the building beyond deliveries. The relationship is collaborative rather than transactional.
That collaboration reflects a broader principle: food access is strongest when school-based programs and community-based organizations work in coordination. Teens for Food Justice builds and operates the hydroponic farm. United Community Schools connects the harvest to families through QIRT Grab & Go. Each strengthens the other.
Looking Ahead
Candice’s vision extends beyond a single campus. With United Community Schools supporting 32 schools citywide, she sees potential for similar partnerships across boroughs. “I would love a partnership with each school,” she says. “I would love to hear that other schools have the same excitement and knowledge, not just for the students but the community as well.” ❦
Pamela Honey is the Communications & Content Coordinator at Teens For Food Justice.
