Cafeteria Culture (CafCu) is a BIPOC, woman-led environmental education organization reducing plastic and food waste in NYC public schools and nationwide with our free toolkits. We work with students from frontline communities to eliminate single-use plastics and reduce and divert food waste to local compost sites from school cafeterias.
We conduct low-cost, scalable waste reduction pilots with our students who collect data, lead their peers, talk with decision-makers, design outreach materials including videos, and catalyze systemic change. CafCu serves 2,000+ students annually living primarily in shelters and public housing, working exclusively in Title I public schools at no cost to the school.
Our programs all include an advocacy component, with prior students running community education sessions, presenting at the EPA, attending rallies, and testifying at city hall. Through our programming, our students gain faith in their efforts to change systems for the better, engendering a lifetime of civic engagement.