Lehman College has received a $1.25 million grant from the Mellon Foundation for a new Bronx Food Humanities program, which will create research and leadership pathways in Arts and Humanities for students.
The three-year initiative, launched in partnership with Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College and the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), will provide students access to a humanities-centered program of courses, experiential learning and paid internships that explore food, culture and community across the Bronx. The program will be part of Lehman College’s School of Arts and Humanities.
“We are grateful to receive this Mellon Foundation grant to support the Bronx Food Humanities Program,” Lehman College President Fernando Delgado said.
“This initiative, which dovetails with our CUNY Beyond career building initiative, is a natural extension of Lehman College’s commitment to not only educating our students but also preparing them to make a real difference in their communities.”
Storytelling and research will be used to look beyond nutrition and explore how food shapes life in the borough. The histories of local food and community traditions will be traced by students to learn how these practices help to shape the communities and preserve the heritage there. The main goal of the program is to prepare the next generation of community leaders, cultural thinkers and policy makers. Additionally, faculty members will be able to create dynamic food humanities-oriented curricula.
“We are delighted that with the Mellon Foundation’s generous support, we will be able to deeply explore the abundance of food knowledge and stories in the Bronx and create opportunities for our students in arts and humanities-related fields while strengthening partnerships with other Bronx institutions,” Lehman College Professor and Department Chair of Latin American and Latino Studies Alyshia Gálvez said.
NYBG and other Bronx-based organizations will provide students with hands-on experience through paid internships, which help them build professional skills, in addition to connecting classroom learning to real-world projects.
“The New York Botanical Garden is proud to partner with Lehman College, Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College on the Bronx Food Humanities Program. This initiative highlights the power of the humanities to illuminate food as culture, history and lived experience, while connecting students to the Bronx’s rich traditions of growing, cooking and sharing food,” NYBG LuEsther T. Mertz Library Director Rhonda Evans said. “Through access to NYBG’s extensive and globally significant living plant and library collections and our community-based programs, students will gain hands-on experience that bridges research, storytelling and community impact.”
The courses at Lehman College, Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College will expose participating students to diverse faculty and different perspectives. Access to the plant collections, archives and expert staff at NYBG will also help them deepen their understanding of food and its histories.
“We are grateful and excited to be receiving this generous support from the Mellon Foundation,” Bronx Community College Social Sciences Professor Devin Molina said.
“This grant provides crucial support to better prepare our students to transfer to Lehman College, at the same time that it gives them opportunities to work with local organizations and institutions to gain practical work experience.”
“I am thrilled to be part of this generous Mellon grant, which will enrich students across the curriculum and the local Hostos community,” Hostos Community College English Professor Elyse Zucker said.
“Having taught Food Studies and Expository Writing Service Learning courses focused on food systems and the value of real food, I have seen how life-changing this knowledge is for students and the families with whom they share it. This grant will help ensure these interdisciplinary opportunities continue.”
