Every summer, Barnard invites hundreds of high school students to Morningside Heights to experience the campus’s academically rigorous, enriching, and exploratory Pre-College Programs (PCP). And they have no shortage of programs to choose from.
By utilizing New York City as a classroom, STEM-minded students learn about health and society alongside anthropologists. Budding leaders explore their expansive curiosities with experts in their field of interest. Young entrepreneurs hone business ideas through workshops and visits with successful businesswomen. And pre-baccalaureates earn college credits by taking a course with one of the College’s renowned professors.
With 84% of 1,500 U.S. pre-college scholars reporting in 2022 that climate change is “top of mind” for them as well as an increasing demand for a climate curriculum in schools, offering the three-week Sustainable Food and the City course was a no-brainer for Barnard. In 2020, the College’s Center for Engaged Pedagogy worked with faculty and students to create a robust, interdisciplinary curriculum around climate and sustainability.
Through the Summer Food Institute (July 22-August 10), young scholars studied the complexities of sustainable food systems through awareness and education, empowerment, and community building.
“Students can understand the environmental impact of food production and learn the benefits of consuming local, less processed foods,” said Jazmine Garcia, co-instructor of the course and sustainability coordinator. “[They] can also make more informed choices and be inspired to pursue future careers within this field. Finally, students can become advocates of sustainable practices within their communities.”
The program, which hosted 20 climate-focused high schoolers, used NYC as a learning lab for agriculture; health, policy, and justice; food systems and climate change; and soil health. The students tied on aprons for fun cooking sessions and took field trips to Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Rodale Pleasant Community Garden, and Earth Matter on Governors Island.
Rising junior Tanvi Ramesh, a member of the Youth for Climate Club and Green Club at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, loved going to Stone Barns and harvesting blueberries, meeting local farmers and shopping for vegetables, and creating a menu based on summer produce: “It was such a great way to get involved with the food on a deeper level.”
This type of program is perfect for climate advocates like Ramesh, who also maintains her own sustainability blog addressing climate change and impact, food systems, and food waste management. “This program has given me the opportunity to explore food waste and its effect on climate change and soil health and its effect on growing food and agriculture in ways,” said Ramesh. “One thing that helped me was how multifaceted and multidirectional the program was.”
Jenny Hu, from Shanghai, who likes to bake and cook, agreed that learning how to make food alongside her peers, after they learned about the sustainability of food, was a favorite experience for her as well. “It helped me to realize the components of making a formal meal for daily life because when I was at home, I didn't really do those kinds of meals by myself,” she said. “But since I’ve tried it and made a meal with all of my classmates, I feel that I can understand how to make a meal for myself and it’s a new ability that I’ve learned.”
“NYC makes a great place to research sustainable food systems for several reasons, including its diverse population, its many unique urban farms, and its powerful governmental agencies,” said Garcia, who co-teaches the course with Leslie Raucher, Barnard’s associate director of campus sustainability and climate action. “NYC also has a dynamic food industry, with food trucks, restaurants, and street vendors. It also has many challenges, such as food deserts, issues in waste management, pollution, and more.”
From touring garden spaces on campus and in Morningside Park on the first day to delivering
a final paper and a presentation, students learned practical skills via hands-on activities. “I hope that the students develop an appreciation for nutritious whole foods,” said Garcia, “and feel inspired to get involved in their local community to build more sustainable food systems at a grassroots level.”
