According to the , hunger is one of the leading causes of death in the world, not due to a lack of resources but rather because of inequitable distribution. The World Health Organization stated that in 2020, 149 million children under five years of age were estimated to be stunted, 45 million were estimated to be too thin for their height, and 38.9 million were overweight or obese. That is a total of 232.9 million children worldwide affected by malnutrition.
In response to this, the Earth Justice Through Gardening and Nutrition project was founded in the fall of 2020 through the Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowship, a financial aid awarded to students of the Teachers College at , a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in the United States, to work with disadvantaged inner-city youth. Precisely, this project was developed at the School of Earth, Exploration, and Discovery (SEED Harlem) in the city of New York.
The newly created school collaborated with graduate fellows, believing that to combat nutrition-related issues while promoting Earth justice properly, communities must have access to food and nutritional knowledge to keep their citizens healthy. SEED Harlem focuses on hands-on project-based learning experiences, with a critical focus on “Sustainable Earth” and “Community Justice” projects centered around food systems, nutrition, and garden-based education.
Zankel Fellows support the development of this programming as “Garden Fellows” and “Food and Nutrition Fellows,” working directly with students and teachers. With a vision firmly aligned with the , the Earth Justice Through Gardening and Nutrition project primarily focuses on, particularly, Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
SEED Harlem’s primary goal was to provide quality education to its students at all grade levels. And food is, of course, an important entry point for developing academic skills like reading, science, and advocacy. The graduate fellows sought to build upon students’ experiences and perspectives to create opportunities for further academic engagement. For example, the fellows created an after-school Spanish Culture club in response to the school’s request to support establishing such an initiative.
The club incorporated culturally relevant cooking and food lessons, focusing on customs from various Spanish-speaking countries. Students harnessed their kitchen skills to prepare a snack with ingredients from that week’s country of focus, primarily local fruits and learned not only cooking and nutrition but also language, geography, and more. Other key areas were addressed by teaching students to choose whole foods and promoting self-efficacy in their dietary decisions.
Nutrition education has the potential to inspire youth to be advocates for the systemic change needed for everyone to be well nourished, and they can be a part of the solution. The Garden Kitchen Club encapsulates this approach as students engage in lessons integrating gardening and cooking. Starting with hands-on indoor gardening, students understand plant care, edible harvests, and the importance of fostering local consumption.
These skills are then implemented through cooking lessons, where plants they cultivate take center stage in delicious, nutritious meals representing diverse cultures. Pam Koch, the project’s three-year faculty advisor, shares its overarching objective: “The mission of Teachers College is for a more equitable and sustainable future, which matches the mission of SEED. Our Zankel fellows worked with the SEED students to improve equitable access to health-promoting foods for everyone in their community.”
The collaboration between the Zankel fellows and SEED Harlem continuously exemplifies the critical relevance of partnerships by collaborating with various organizations like Family Cook Productions, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, and Harlem Grown to demonstrate the power of collective action in driving sustainable change. These partnerships amplified the impact of SEED Harlem’s initiatives and fostered a sense of shared responsibility towards achieving the Global Goals.
SEED Harlem’s story highlights academia’s crucial role in promoting a sustainable future. Amy E. Hawley Alvarez, program lead for Zankel fellowship projects, amplifies the initiative’s broader impact: “Now in its sixteenth year, the Zankel Fellowship Program places on average 60 university students in about 22 schools throughout New York City to work with underserved communities in everything from literacy intervention to music and arts education to sustainability education and so much more.”
By nurturing a new generation of responsible citizens, SEED Harlem stands as a testament to the transformative power of education in creating a brighter and more sustainable world for all. The project will return to SEED Harlem for the 2023-2024 school year, with two additional fellows added.
