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For one week at the end of June, the SCFS fellows led a program filled with creative activities to instill a deeper understanding of the topics needed to build stronger, more sustainable communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOK everyone, we are ready to have lunch and it\u2019s a very special lunch!” Nielsen calls out. “The fellows all prepared food that is very special to us, food from around the world. But before we line up, I want to try something different. Raise your hand and say something positive and kind about someone or something positive that has happened so far today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The children, rising 5th<\/sup> graders from the SAND School in North Hartford, are eager to answer. Nearly everyone\u2019s positive statement reflects how excited they are to participate in this program.<\/p>\n The group is gathered in a classroom and teaching kitchen at Auerfarm<\/a> in Bloomfield, just minutes from Hartford. SCFS Faculty Member and UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Extension Educator Jennifer Cushman<\/a> explains that the property was gifted to the Connecticut 4-H Development Fund in 1976<\/a>. Since then, UConn 4-H has had a strong presence on the farm with educational programming, says Cushman, now including the Sustainable Community Food Systems program that came to fruition this summer.<\/p>\n The farm is open to the public and is a perfect setting for learning about agriculture and community-based food systems.<\/p>\n \u201cLots of animals and gardens, there\u2019s an apple orchard and blueberries, which we got to pick yesterday. There is a lot of great agricultural teaching space,\u201d says Cushman. \u201cThese youth are engaged as UConn 4-H program participants this week.\u201d<\/p>\n Nielsen explains the project was spearheaded by UConn Faculty from multiple disciplines and departments across the university<\/a>, from the CAHNR to CLAS, to UConn\u2019s Office of Outreach and Engagement<\/a> including Co-principle investigators Professor-in-Residence of Sociology Phoebe Godfrey<\/a>, Professor-in-Residence of Geography Andrew Jolly-Ballantine<\/a>, Associate Extension Educator of Extension Jennifer Cushman and Assistant Professor-in-Residence Stacy Maddern<\/a>.<\/p>\n The curriculum planning started with last year\u2019s cohort of fellows working in collaboration with teachers from SAND school who were essential for the program\u2019s success, explains Godfrey.<\/p>\n The SCFS faculty members approached this year\u2019s cohort of fellows who have continued to work on planning activities and designing lessons for this year\u2019s participants. Nielsen and another fellow, Ella Wilgis \u201924 (CLAS) specialized in developing the curriculum.<\/p>\n “Before coming to Auerfarm, I was very nervous to lead and supervise meaningful programming for such a large group of young students, a sentiment that many of my peers shared,\u201d says SCFS Fellow Maia Carpentino \u201824 (CAHNR).<\/p>\n \u201cFor many of us, this was our first time taking on the role of a mentor to such an impressionable group, but this nervousness quickly diminished as the week progressed and we got to know each other more. Ultimately, we learned that if we show passion around the topic of food systems, if we stay adaptable, and are in tune with the feelings and needs of the students, the students will have a great week and take home new interests and\/or knowledge. We came into this experience expecting to be teachers, but the students taught us how to grow as academics and become better leaders,” says Carpentino.<\/p>\n The fellows quickly adapted activities to ensure everyone has the best experience. \u201cThe kids seem to be enjoying themselves,\u201d says Nielsen. \u201cThey’re a very high-energy group so every night we meet up and modify our plan and rework the next day based on the day and what the kids enjoyed the most.\u201d<\/p>\n The goal of the program is to introduce kids who may not have had the opportunity to experience a space like Auerfarm and get them thinking about where our food comes from, what types of food we eat, and how we get that food. The experience has also been rewarding for the fellows involved, Nielsen says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want them to be asking these questions, we aren’t going too deep into the socio-political aspect of things like food apartheid<\/a>, but we are trying to have them engage in the mindful practices so that when they’re older, they may start to notice and interact with those concepts and build towards a more equitable future. We’re hoping the conversations we’re having during those skill-building activities are going to prepare them to be activists in their community.\u201d<\/p>\n The days are structured so the children spend a lot of time in the teaching kitchen, learning how to plan and prepare their meals, from smoothies to guacamole, hummus, and sandwiches, the food preparation has been the reigning highlight of their day, says SCFS Program Coordinator Victoria Zucco \u201923 (CLAS). They are having fun while building life skills.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s been a process of finding the balance between indoor cooking, artwork, being outside in nature, playing, and finding interesting games,” Zucco says. “I think everyone’s consensus is that their favorite part of the program is all the good food that they’re getting to make and eat. Everything is also very egalitarian. We’ve been starting every day by reviewing the standards we set for ourselves. There’s a climate of respect and listening, rather than ridged rule-following.\u201d<\/p>\n The program standards were agreed upon by the group and included things like “Do and Say Nice Things,” “Take Care of Yourself and Others,” and “Ask Questions!” to ensure a collaborative and fun environment for everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cKindness is our Word of the Week, and every day we ask how we can say and do nice things for everybody and create this community,\u201d says Nielsen. \u201cIt\u2019s not just fending for yourself, but everybody can pick each other up and create the type of environment where we can collaborate, that’s so different from what capitalism pushes onto us, that rigid individualism, instead we can come together as a community and do all this cool stuff that you wouldn’t have been able to do alone.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"SCFS](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/photo2-300x225.jpg\")
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