How can we get students to be active members in their local food system? This question will drive the work of my project as I strive to increase student engagement and teach transferable skills through the lens of food. While I am proud that I live in a state that values the role of agriculture in our communities, there seems to be a disconnect and lost opportunity for our students. Rarely do we intentionally connect the food that is delivered to our cafeterias and grown locally to plates students eat from. My goal is to increase school wide opportunities to allow students to be more involved in that process
With the incredible support and gift of time from the Rowland Foundation, I will explore how faculty, students, community members and local farms, chefs and restaurants can support this work. There is a desire amongst our student body to incorporate culinary arts into the fabric of the school. Increasing culinary experiences will allow students to engage in relevant work that benefits their education and local community while simultaneously building greater connections between two existing initiatives, Sustainability and Wellness. There will be increased opportunity for students to learn and practice culinary based skills that our current educational system lacks. Exploring the breadth of culinary arts can be a place to teach transferable and executive functioning skills, such as organization, time management, teamwork and the school’s learning expectations, as well as highlighting the benefits of cooking and eating locally. Lastly, this project will build a school culture where we value preparing, sharing and consuming meals together.
