Opportunities From: Connect2Community

Overview: Learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet for environmental and social justice. Then, share this information with your peers by creating examples of balanced meals that are affordable, accessible, and able to be prepared in a dorm environment. Research and communicate the resources and emissions saved from making the recipe plant-based rather than animal-product-inclusive. 

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on climate, pollution, and biodiversity loss.Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience.Quantify the impact of eliminating animal products from one’s diet on planetary health.Be able to discuss the relationship between food and the environment with peers and offer practical suggestions for transitioning to a more plant-forward diet.Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences including your peers and the public, such as active listening and asking critical questions.Learn about skills and competencies required in culinary and environmental science professions, such as recipe creation and environmental impact analysis.

Stages:

InvestigationSurvey the selected audience (i.e. dorm neighbors, sports team, or those who share an academic focus) to understand their considerations when choosing their food.Preparation and PlanningResearch the connection between food and the environment independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Reflect on survey results to determine the standards that each recipe must meet, including cost, ease of buying ingredients, and cooking method.Brainstorm at least ten different plant-based recipes that are affordable, accessible, and practical for the audience to cook. Each recipe should be for a balanced, nutritious meal that includes fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein. Calculate the environmental savings of each recipe compared to a similar recipe that includes animal products.Action/DemonstrationPrepare and distribute recipes (i.e., live cooking demonstration, printed handouts, video, etc.) and communicate environmental benefits.

Deliverables:

Survey distributed to the audience asking about preferences, restraints, etc. 10 plant-based recipes that fit the needs of the audienceDocumentation of the presentation of the recipes (i.e., video recording, handouts, etc.)

Overview: Learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet for environmental and social justice. Then, share this information with the public by writing a series of articles elaborating on the connection between food choices and the environment. These articles will be eligible to be posted on the Switch4Good blog. 

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.Gain experience with the research writing process, including drafting research questions, identifying and evaluating sources, and synthesizing findings. Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience through writing.Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences, including your peers and the public.Learn about skills and competencies required in research and writing professions.

Stages:

Investigation

Research and identify potential topics within the broader topic of food choices and the environment. Survey your peer group or whoever your target audience is to understand better what they lack information on or what they wish they knew more about.

Preparation and Planning

Determine the focus of research and writing based on criteria such as urgency of the issue, level of public awareness, and personal interest. Determine the scope of research and writing to cover the subject matter. Each article should be at least 1,000 words long, and the project requires at least 3 articles, but it is up to you if you’d like to write about three topics or write a series about one topic. Research the connection between food and environment independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Organize research, draft a thesis statement, and write an outline.

Action/Demonstration

Write!Reach out to personal, professional, and academic connections for edits and revisions. Lucy from Switch4Good is also available for review at any point during these steps. Repeat steps up to this point for each article written.

Deliverables:

Documentation of research and planning (notes, outline, thesis statement, etc.).Documentation of editing and revision (track changes, comments, edited and final drafts, etc.).Final drafts of at least three articles of at least 1,000 words each.

Overview:

Learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet for environmental and social justice. Then, share this information with your peers by creating a presentation tailored to your audience and sharing it with them. You can present a series of presentations to one audience or the same presentation to multiple groups, depending on whether you would rather dig into the research on one topic or improve your confidence with public speaking. 

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience.Develop presentation design skills, including slide design, storytelling, audience tailoring, etc. Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences including your peers and the public, such as active listening and asking critical questions.Learn about skills and competencies required in research and communications professions.

Stages:

Investigation

Research and identify preferred audiences for presentations. Survey audience to understand their current knowledge around the connection between food and the environment.

Preparation and Planning

Research the connection between food and environment independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Reflect on survey results to determine the focus and depth of the presentation.Create visual aid(s) for the presentation(s) and craft talking points.Practice the presentation(s). Don’t memorize word for word, but instead, understand your points well enough to clearly communicate them and keep the conversation dynamic.Organize the presentation event(s).

Action/Demonstration

Present!

Deliverables:

Survey distributed to audience asking about knowledge of food systems, climate change, and their connectionVisual aids and talking points/script for the presentation.Documentation of the presentation (photos, videos, invitations, etc.).

Overview:

Learn about the current state of food, environmental, and relevant policies such as the FISCAL Act, the Farm Bill, and other local bills. Then, write a letter to the editor responding to a published article about one of these bills or an op-ed sharing your viewpoint more generally about these policy proposals. Attempt to get your piece published in a school newspaper, a local outlet, or even a regional or national one!

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on the environment and public health.Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience through writing.Learn about the role of the media in public civic discourse and how to project your voice in a democratic political system.Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences, including your peers and the publicPractice writing an evidence-based argument.Learn about skills and competencies required in political, legislative, and writing advocacy careers.

Stages:

Investigation

Research and identify potential topics within the broader topic of food choices and environment that are relevant to current legislation or recent articles published in the local press. The timeline for submitting op-eds is looser than LTEs, which typically need to be submitted quite quickly after the piece to which the LTE is responding is printed. Survey your community to understand better what they care about in relation to this issue.

Preparation and Planning

Research the specific issue, its consequences, and where it stands in the legislative process (if legislation) independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Organize research and develop a succinct argument that can be written in a few paragraphs.Research press outlets local to the district in which the legislation is being proposed, including student newspapers. Note their submission requirements and methods, including word count and whether they have an online form or accept email submissions. 

Action

Write! The most effective letters to the editor are typically short, only a couple of paragraphs long. Op-eds are usually a bit longer, but not by much. The length will be determined by the guidelines of each publication. Reach out to personal, professional, and academic connections for edits and revisions. Lucy from Switch4Good is also available for review at any point during these steps.

Demonstration

Pitch the LTE or op-ed to the press outlets you found in your research! Repeat steps up to this point for each LTE or op-ed written.

Deliverables:

Documentation of research and planning (notes, outline, etc.).Documentation of editing and revision (track changes, comments, edited and final drafts, etc.). Final drafts of at least five letters to the editor or op-edsDocumentation of pitching LTEs or op-eds to press outlets, including any publications.

Overview: Learn about the current state of nutrition policy relevant to dairy, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Federal Milk Mandate, and the National School Lunch Program. Then, garner support for the FISCAL Act, which would allow for plant-based milk alternatives, aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to be served in schools. 

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on the environment and public health.Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience.Learn about the role of stakeholders in public policy, including individuals, civic society organizations, industry lobbyists, and representatives.Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences including your peers and the public, such as active listening and asking critical questions.Learn about skills and competencies required in political and legislative advocacy careers.

Stages:

Investigation

Research and identify a population in your community from whom you could receive support for the FISCAL Act.

Preparation and Planning

Research US nutrition policy and its consequences independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Prepare the method in which you will garner support for the bill (i.e., individual signatures, endorsements from identity groups or local representatives, votes from senators and representatives). Letters to the editor are a great strategy for this project–see the Letters to the Editor Writing project below to see project details. 

Action

Meet with the target audience and learn about their interests related to the FISCAL Act.Collect indications of support, whether they be signatures, endorsements, or promises to vote yes.

Demonstration

Compile the results of your work into an article (400-500 words) that highlights the progress you made towards passing the bill that will be eligible to be posted on the Switch4Good blog. Convert the article into social media posts to raise further awareness and continue the momentum. 

Deliverables:

Documentation of research about US nutrition policy (notes, etc.)Support gathered for the FISCAL Act (signed petition, written endorsements, etc.)Blog post and social media posts

Overview: Learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet for environmental and social justice. Then, share this information with your peers by creating examples of balanced meals that are affordable, accessible, and able to be prepared in a dorm environment. Research and communicate the resources and emissions saved from making the recipe plant-based rather than animal-product-inclusive. 

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on climate, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers and learn to clearly communicate findings with a non-scientific audience. Quantify the impact of eliminating animal products from one’s diet on planetary health. Be able to discuss the relationship between food and the environment with peers and offer practical suggestions for transitioning to a more plant-forward diet. Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences, including your peers and the public, such as active listening and asking critical questions. Learn about skills and competencies required in culinary and environmental science professions, such as recipe creation and environmental impact analysis.

Stages:

Investigation

Survey the selected audience (i.e. dorm neighbors, sports team, or those who share an academic focus) to understand their considerations when choosing their food.

Preparation and Planning

Research the connection between food and environment independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Reflect on survey results to determine the standards that each recipe must meet, including cost, ease of buying ingredients, and cooking method.Brainstorm at least ten different plant-based recipes that are affordable, accessible, and practical for the audience to cook. Each recipe should be for a balanced, nutritious meal that includes fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein. Calculate the environmental savings of each recipe compared to a similar recipe that includes animal products.

Action/Demonstration

Prepare and distribute recipes (i.e., live cooking demonstration, printed handouts, video, etc.) and communicate environmental benefits.

Deliverables:

Survey distributed to the audience asking about preferences, restraints, etc. 10 plant-based recipes that fit the needs of the audienceDocumentation of the presentation of the recipes (i.e., video recording, handouts, etc.)

Overview: Learn about the benefits of plant-based milk alternatives for environmental and social justice. Then, develop a business plan for a locally-owned coffee shop to stop charging a higher price for drinks with non-dairy milk.

Learning objectives: 

Improve understanding of animal agriculture’s effects on climate, pollution, and biodiversity loss.Improve reading comprehension skills for scientific papers.Be able to discuss the relationship between food and the environment with peers and offer practical suggestions for transitioning to a more plant-forward food economy.Gain effective communication skills that enable you to critically engage with this topic with varying audiences including your peers and the public, such as active listening and asking critical questions.Learn about skills and competencies required in business professions, such as analysis and adaptability to market shifts. 

Stages:

Investigation

Find a local coffee shop for whom you could draft a business plan. Look for owners who are already interested in more sustainable options. Ask them about their interests and hesitations about dropping the upcharge. Survey the customer base of the coffee shop to better understand how they would feel about changing the price structure.

Preparation and Planning

Research the connection between food and environment independently and with the support of Switch4Good materials and team.Draft the business plan. Be creative and diligent in your planning, always ask yourself what concerns it should address.

Action/Demonstration

Present the business plan to the coffee shop owners and solicit their feedback. 

Deliverables:

Surveys distributed to owners and customers about how they feel about changing the price structure. Business plan with a summary with objectives, description of current business model, market analysis and industry trends, sales strategy, operational plan, and financial projections.