The University of Michigan Sustainable Food Systems Initiative received a Higher Education Challenge grant from the US Department of Agriculture to increase student exposure to interdisciplinary approaches to agriculture and food systems. The project seeks to engage undergraduate students, with particular emphasis on underrepresented populations.
The UM Food Citizenship Project will:
- Establish an educational program for first-year students aimed at early immersion in food systems. The program will include a summer orientation activity at the campus farm and a first-year seminar with a strong experiential learning component.
- Develop an interdisciplinary food literacy course/lecture series open to the public entitled “Food Literacy for All” in partnership with local food organizations. The course will engage students and community members alike in the challenges and opportunities of current food systems.
- Devise strategies to encourage underrepresented and non-traditional students to engage with food systems studies.
The program will be coordinated by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Nutrition Department of the School of Public Health, with support from the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative and the UM Sustainable Food Program.
Contact Lilly (finkshap@umich.edu) with questions.
