Think&EatGreen@School Project Milestone Report 2011...

Think&EatGreen@School Project Milestone Report 2011 Appendices!

Appendix 1: Activities in Year 0 (Including detail for Question 3.2)

Figure 1: Visual timeline of Year 0 (2010-2011) for CURA Think&EatGreen@School Project

2010-2011 Mr Ap My p Jn

unn

Jyul

Auug

Sep

Oct

Nov

De Jan F Mr Ap My

Hired Project Staff and initial GRAs

Weekly Co-ordinating Committee meetings

Established Advisory Committee

Ethics approval

Whole team meetings

1 4*

1 1

*4 Project thematic areas, 4 meetings

GRAs survey schools (follow-up to 09), selection criteria decided

Developed School Projects, Scenarios & tools

Implementation of UBC Student Projects with Schools

GRAs summarized findings from each school and devolve it to schools


Text Description of Year 0

February 1 2010

SSHRCC official adjudication letter received

a) Preparation, submission and approval of the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics application for the duration of the project

b) Coordinating Committee gets organized and begin functioning (unpaid work)

March 2010

c) Hiring of Project Manager, Project Coordinator and Project Community Liaison (also the Co-Chair of a key partner organization, the Vancouver Food Policy Council) who, together with the Principal Investigator and one senior Co-Investigator, form the Coordinating Committee (CC). Since February 2010, the CC holds regular weekly meetings for the CURA. Two CC members, the Project Community Liaison and the Project Coordinator, are school teachers currently undertaking graduate studies within the Project and at UBC.

d) Hiring of graduate students as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). Establishment of clear terms of reference and responsibilities for the Summer and Fall periods in Year 0 (Appendix 11 for criteria to hire GRAs)

e) Organization of the first whole-team meeting after the granting of the CURA Award

f) Contacting members of the Advisory Committee and establishing the Committee

g) Consultation with the whole team on the new nickname of the Project. Several names were generated by team members and the one finally accepted by consensus was the: Think&EatGreen@School Project

April – May 2010

h) Bilateral meetings with all community-based and area-based partners and Co-Investigators to elicit the issues of particular interest to them to be included in the whole-team meeting of April 22

i) April 22. Full-day meeting of the whole team. The meeting provided an opportunity to revisit the Project research agenda and its work plan. The results of an environmental scan, conducted during Fall 2009 (before the tenure of the grant began) at some 50 schools by the Land, Food and Community I class (which is central to the Project’s structure), were shared and all the data collected made available to the whole team. Based on those reports, the entire team discussed and established the criteria to choose the schools to be included in the sample of schools to be involved in Year 1 of the Project. Those reports also provided a preliminary vista of schools’ needs and currently existing activities and initiatives of interest to our Think&EatGreen@School Project.

j) May 12. Presentation by the Principal Investigator and Coordinating Committee members to the Vancouver Board of Education (Higher ranking officers, School Trustees, Teachers Federation)

k) With full support of our CURA team, one of our Graduate Research Assistants won a scholarship provided by UBC regarding its Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Vancouver’s Municipal Government on sustainability research. Development of a food procurement policy for all public institutions of Vancouver based on principles of sustainability is undertaken

l) Development of the Logic Model as a key communication and decision-making document. Drafting of indicators (Appendix 5)

June – July 2010

m) July 2. Meeting of all UBC-based team members to consolidate the commitment of UBC researchers involved in the specific Community Impact Projects (CIPs) and to assume a leading role in each of the Project’s areas. Community-based co-investigators (1 for each project) have a co-leading role. (Food Consumption at School, Sarah Carten, VCH, with UBC Co-Investigator Gwen Chapman; Curriculum & Pedagogy Innovations, Bruce Ford, EPSSA /Metro Vancouver with PI Alejandro Rojas and UBC Co-Investigator Jolie Mayer-Smith; Food Production at School; SPEC Marnie Newel with UBC Co-Investigator Andrew Riseman; Policy: Kevin Millsip, VSB with Brent Mansfield, Think&EatGreen Project Community Liaison and Co-Chair of Vancouver Food Policy Council

n) July 14. Food Preparation and Consumption at School


o) July 19: Public Procurement Policy Partnership between The City of Vancouver, Think&EatGreen@SchoolsProject, UBC Food Services, AMS Food and Beverage Department, Vancouver Parks and the Vancouver School Board. July 21: Curriculum and Pedagogy

p) July 26. Food Production at School.

Fall 2010 – Spring 2011

q) October 22. Meeting of constitution of the Project’s Advisory Committee, an arm’s length body comprised of scholars and food & environmental advocates and practitioners

r) October 29. Meeting of the whole Think&EatGreen@School team to support the mobilization of the LFS 250 and LFS 350 undergraduate students delivering, in 20 schools, the associated Community Impact Projects or scenarios developed in consultation with our school counterparts and all the Think&EatGreen@School partners over three July meetings (Food Production at School; Food Consumption at School; and Curriculum and Pedagogical innovations). Those consultations produced 15 concrete school projects organized into specific scenarios.

s) February 4 2011. Meeting of the whole Think&EatGreen@School team to review the structure of the Milestone Report and the research plans and commitments to be included in the Report

t) Throughout Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, 379 UBC students in 6 courses participated in Community Impact Projects that take place in schools. See below for detail.

Community Impact Projects: School Projects in 2010-2011

Land, Food & Community I (LFS 250), Fall 2010

200 students • Scenario I & II. Roots: Planting the seed for a better education & a healthier environment. Food

Production at School: Garden Maintenance & Management Plan o Community Partners (CPs): SPEC o Schools, Elementary: Tyee , Queen Elizabeth, Bayview, Grenfell, L’Ecole Bilingue, Brock,

Van Horne, Grandview o Secondary: Gladstone, Kitsilano, Vancouver Technical, David Thompson

• Scenario III. Discovering the grand classroom. Innovation in curricula and ways of learning: Connections, Integration, & Pedagogical Innovations

o CPs: SPEC, EYA o Schools, Secondary: Windermere, Gladstone

• Scenario IV. Healthy Food for a Healthy School. Assessment of food availability at school o CPs: Sarah Carten o Schools, Elementary: Sir John Franklin, Simon Fraser, Sir William Van Horne, Queen

Elizabeth, Queen Alexandra, Grandview • Scenario V. (A&B). Rethinking the places where we eat at school. Food Consumption: Cafeteria /

Kitchen Infrastructure Assessment, Menu Evaluation and Educational Signage o CPs: Sarah Carten, Steve Golob, Stephan Gagnon o Schools, Secondary: David Thompson, Gladstone, Windermere

Land, Food & Community II (LFS 350), Fall 2010 40 UBC Students

1. Outdoor Classroom / UBC Teaching & Learning Garden & UBC Farm 2. Using Vancouver School Board lands to build food security 3. Earth Tub composting at David Thompson Secondary School 4. Composting business plan with Fresh Roots 5. Exploring the Implementation of Salad Bars and Farm to School programs in Vancouver schools

Land, Food & Community III (LFS 450), Spring 2011 30 UBC Students

• UBC Farm, UBC campus & schools • Summer Institute components

School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (LARC 503), Spring 2011 20 UBC students

1. Spaces of production 2. Communal spaces 3. Landscapes for environmental services 4. Areas for artistic expression


Food Service Systems Management (FNH 440), Fall 2010 15 UBC Students

• Management responsibilities in quantity food production with emphasis on menu planning, purchasing and service

Nutrition Education in the Community (FOOD 473), Spring 2011 74 UBC Students

• Food, Nutrition and Health (FNH) 473 is a course that seeks to put community nutrition education theories and methods into action. examples of projects include facilitating nutrition workshops, developing program resources (e.g., lesson plans; recipe books; informational posters), facilitating cooking classes, and building community through food.

New funding applications

February – March 2011: CIHR (2); IDRC/CIDA International Fund for Research on Food Security to extend and adapt the project to Ecuador and Chile; UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (2 involving co-investigators from UBC’s Faculty of Education and School of Landscape Architecture)

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Appendix 3

Working landscape from “inquiry to engagement” Think & Eat Green @ School frames its collaborative work as a process of community-engaged

scholarship. Our development of a map of community-university research approaches (Figure 1) provided us with a common language by which to articulate our progression through the landscape of engagement. Our team members Rojas, Valley & Sipos (Rojas et al., in review1) developed this map as a means of encapsulating our attempt to understand changes in the CBAR projects which, after a decade of evolution and trial and error, led to the formation of Think & Eat Green @ School; now, this graphic helps us to demonstrate movement towards CES over time. Although our model greatly simplifies the components of CES into two axes, we have attempted to distill the key components as a means of stimulating discussion, alongside the visual demonstration. We have identified two axes, where the x-axis runs from “inquiry” to “engagement,” while the y-axis moves from university- to community-generated research agendas. The former describes the continuum of activities that can take place in research programs, such as gathering information from secondary sources, observation, surveys, and structured interviews to rural rapid appraisal techniques and co-developing, facilitating and evaluating outreach interventions with community partners. The latter particularly describes who initiates and determines the research question(s).

Figure 1. Map of community-university research approaches. Think & Eat Green @ School can claim that all members of the alliance articulated the research agenda and its objectives, methods and expected outcomes. Due to the large nature of the project, not all of the research activities fall along the right-hand side of the spectrum from inquiry to engagement; however, the map allows us to articulate where our current (and future) activities fall along the continuum. This provides a valuable perspective when planning and a type of research compass that allows us to verify that our research is in the realm of “action”. Based on our experience, the two continua in the map have a positive relationship to each other. 1 Rojas, A., Valley, W. and Sipos, Y. (Manuscript submitted for publication). From Inquiry to Engagement: A Reflection on 10 Years of Community-Based Learning and Research on Food Security and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia.

Application for a Grant

Page 1 PROTECTED WHEN COMPLETED

Social Sciences and Humanities

Research Council of Canada

Conseil de recherches en

sciences humaines du Canada

Internal use

IdentificationThis page will be made available to selection committee members and external assessors.

Program name

396491

Application title

Community university collaborative project on food security in Vancouver schools and institutional

adaptations to climate change

InitialsApplicant given name

Alejandro

Applicant family name

Rojas

Department/Division name

Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Full organization name

The University of British Columbia

Org. code

Full name of lead organizationOrg. code

Community-University Research Alliances (CURA)

Personal information will be stored in the Personal Information Bank for the appropriate program. Complete Application WEB2009/09/16

Yes NoDoes your proposal involve activity that requires a permit, licence, or approval under any federal statute;

or physical interaction with the environment? If 'Yes', complete Appendices A and B.


1590111

1590111

Tri-Counciland submit your proposal to

Does your proposal involve human beings as research subjects? If "Yes", consult the

Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humansyour organization’s Research Ethics Board.

Yes No

1,000,000200,000200,000200,000200,000 200,000(from page 7)

Total funds requested from SSHRC

TotalYear 5Year 4Year 3Year 2Year 1

Signatures

Alejandro Rojas

For lead organization (President of university or non-academic organization)

For lead organization (research office or financial administrator)

The undersigned accept the terms and conditions as outlined in the corresponding program description; the instructions provided

with this form; and any conditions applied to a grant pursuant to this application.

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Page 2

sciences humaines du CanadaResearch Council of Canada

Conseil de recherches en Social Sciences and Humanities

Signature and Name of Authorized Delegate forOrganization

Signature, Name

and Organization of Co-applicant

Family name, Given name

I have read and agree to the requirements set out in the "Signatures" section of the accompanying instructions.

Co-applicants' and Institutional Signatures

Rojas, Alejandro

Nagel, Rhianna

Environmental Youth Alliance Environmental Youth Alliance

Cochran, Liz

Independent co-investigator Independent co-investigator

Gagnon, Stephan

Independent co-investigator Independent co-investigator

Barnes, Michael

Public Health Association of British ColumbiaPublic Health Association of British Columbia

Koc, Mustafa

Ryerson University Ryerson University

Miewald, Christiana

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University

Robinson, Joanna

Society forPromotion of Environmental Protection SPECSociety forPromotion of Environmental Protection SPEC

Bomford, Mark

The University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia

Bomke, Arthur


Chapman, Gwen


Application WEB



Page 2.1

sciences humaines du CanadaResearch Council of Canada

Conseil de recherches en Social Sciences and Humanities

Signature and Name of Authorized Delegate forOrganization

Signature, Name

and Organization of Co-applicant


I have read and agree to the requirements set out in the "Signatures" section of the accompanying instructions.

Co-applicants' and Institutional Signatures (cont'd)

Rojas, Alejandro

Lomas, Cyprien


Mayer-Smith, Jolie


Mendes, Wendy


Riseman, Andrew


Skura, Brent


Crocker, Barbara

Vancouver Coastal Health Vancouver Coastal Health

Bays, Joanne

Vancouver Food policy Council Vancouver Food policy Council

Christopher, Carole

Vancouver Food Policy Council Vancouver Food Policy Council

Millsip, Kevin

Vancouver School Board Vancouver School Board

Overgaard, Valerie

Vancouver School Board Vancouver School Board

CID (if known)

Co-applicant Collaborator

Given name


Given name Initials


CID (if known)

Given name Initials



CID (if known)


CID (if known)


Given name

CID (if known)Co-applicant Collaborator

Given name




sciences humaines du Canada Family name, Given name


ParticipantsList names of your team members (co-applicants and collaborators) who will take part in the intellectual direction of the research. Do not include assistants, students or consultants.

Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Initials

Initials

Initials




Page 3

Nagel Rhianna

Environmental Youth Alliance

N/A

1

LizCochran

Independent co-investigator1

N/A

Gagnon Stephan

Independent co-investigator1

N/A

Barnes Michael

1 Public Health Association of British Columbia

N/A

Koc Mustafa

1352011 Ryerson University

Sociology

Application WEB

Rojas, Alejandro

CID (if known)


Given name


Given name Initials


CID (if known)

Given name Initials



CID (if known)


CID (if known)


Given name


Given name






Participants

Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Initials

Initials

Initials

(cont'd)




Page 3.1

Miewald Christiana

Simon Fraser University

Centre for Sustainable Community Development

1590611

JoannaRobinson

Society forPromotion of Environmental Protection SPEC1

N/A

Bomford Mark

The University of British Columbia1590111


Bomke Arthur

1590111 The University of British Columbia


Chapman Gwen



Application WEB

Rojas, Alejandro

CID (if known)


Given name


Given name Initials


CID (if known)

Given name Initials



CID (if known)


CID (if known)


Given name


Given name






Participants

Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

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Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Initials

Initials

Initials

(cont'd)




Page 3.2

Lomas Cyprien



1590111

JolieMayer-Smith


Faculty of Education

Mendes Wendy


School of Community & Regional Planning

Riseman Andrew



Skura Brent



Application WEB

Rojas, Alejandro

CID (if known)


Given name


Given name Initials


CID (if known)

Given name Initials



CID (if known)


CID (if known)


Given name


Given name






Participants

Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Role

Family name

Org. code


Initials

Initials

Initials

(cont'd)




Page 3.3

Crocker Barbara

Vancouver Coastal Health

N/A

1

JoanneBays

Vancouver Food policy Council1

N/A

Christopher Carole

Vancouver Food Policy Council1

N/A

Millsip Kevin

1 Vancouver School Board

N/A

Overgaard Valerie

1 Vancouver School Board

N/A

Application WEB

Rojas, Alejandro

Rojas, Alejandro






Partners

Org. code

Org. code

Org. code



Organization type

Organization type

Organization type

Country

code code

E-mail

Initials

Contact family nameAddress

Address

Address

Initials

Initials

code code

Country

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Country Area Number Extension


code code


E-mail

E-mail

- Partners may be organizations in the public, private or non-profit sectors. Individuals are not eligible as partners.

Enter complete information for each partner.


Telephone number

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1

1 604

604 5122

801 5121

1400- 207 West Hastings Street

1

1

1

PO BOX 3001

CANADA

CANADA

CANADA

1 604 689 4446

1 604 730 0450

1 604 730 0451

1937 West 2nd Avenue

Lee

Marc

Rosen

[email protected]

Harrtley

Nield

Jeff

[email protected]

Environmental Youth Alliance


Application WEB

Page 4

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V6B1H7

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC V6B3Y6

Postal/Zip code

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V6J1J2

Canadian Centre for policy Alternatives Association

Farm Folk/City Folk Society Association

Association

Rojas, Alejandro






Partners

Org. code

Org. code

Org. code



Organization type

Organization type

Organization type

Country

code code

E-mail

Initials


Address

Address

Initials

Initials

code code

Country

Country



code code


E-mail

E-mail

(cont'd)


Telephone number

Fax number

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Telephone number

Fax number

Telephone number

Fax number

1

1 604

604 682 6807

408 5154

612 Main Mall

1

1

1

350 Victoria Street

CANADA

CANADA

CANADA

1 416 979 5042

1 416 979 5042

1 604 736 7732

1 604 736 7115

2150 Maple Street

Fryer

Margo

Venetsanopoulos

[email protected]

Anastasios

Robinson

Joanna

[email protected]

[email protected]

Ryerson University


Application WEB

Page 4.1

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V6A2V3

City/Municipality

Toronto

Prov./State

ON M5B2K3

Postal/Zip code

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V6J3T3

Learning Exchange, University of British Columbia Learning association

Sociey Promoting Environmental Protection Association

University

Rojas, Alejandro






Partners

Org. code

Org. code

Org. code



Organization type

Organization type

Organization type

Country

code code

E-mail

Initials


Address

Address

Initials

Initials

code code

Country

Country



code code


E-mail

E-mail

(cont'd)


Telephone number

Fax number

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Telephone number

Fax number

Telephone number

Fax number

1

1 604

604 215 1914

215 1914

110-1555 Charles Street

1

1

1

1580 West Broadway

CANADA

CANADA

CANADA

1 604 713 5000

1 604 713 5244

1 604 253 3575

1 604 253 2460

#200 Commercial Drive

Tracey

David

Overgaard

[email protected]

Valeries

Crocker

Barbara

[email protected]

Vancouver School Board


Application WEB

Page 4.2

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V5L2T2

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC V6J5K8

Postal/Zip code

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V5L3Y3

Vancouver Community Agriculture Network Association

Vanouver Coastal Health Provincial/Territorial

government

Provincial/Territorial

government

Rojas, Alejandro






Partners

Org. code

Org. code

Org. code



Organization type

Organization type

Organization type

Country

code code

E-mail

Initials


Address

Address

Initials

Initials

code code

Country

Country



code code


E-mail

E-mail

(cont'd)


Telephone number

Fax number

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Contact family name

Given name

Telephone number

Fax number

Telephone number

Fax number

1 604 873 7487

Vancouver City Hall 453 West 12th

1

CANADA

Christopher

Carole

[email protected]


Application WEB

Page 4.3

City/Municipality

Vancouver

Prov./State

BC

Postal/Zip code

V5Y1V4

City/Municipality Prov./State Postal/Zip code

City/Municipality Prov./State Postal/Zip code

Vanouver Food Policy Council Municipal

government

Global/Climate Change

Education

Environment and Sustainability

Other Anthropology

Other Sociology

Other Education

Interdisciplinary Studies

Other Environmental Studies







Rojas, Alejandro

Research ActivityThe information provided in this section refers to your research proposal.

Keywords

List keywords that best describe your proposed research or research activity. Separate keywords with a semicolon.

Application WEBPersonal information will be stored in the Personal Information Bank for the appropriate program.

Page 5

Food security; sustainable food systems; environmental education; institutional adaptations to climate

change; community engaged scholarship

Areas of Research

Indicate and rank up to 3 areas of research related to your proposal. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

4

5

Rank Code Area

1

2

3

63499

60299Ecological Anthropology

180

140

214

Rank Code

1

2

3

Discipline If "Other", specify

61499Collaboration across disciplines

70000

61299E nvironmental and Food security educat

Environmental sociology

Indicate and rank up to 5 disciplines that best correspond to your proposal. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

Disciplines

Temporal Periods

If applicable, indicate up to 2 historical periods covered by your proposal.

From To

YearBC AD

YearBC AD

ENGLAND

UNITED STATES

CANADA

North America

Western Canada







Research Activity (cont’d)

Rojas, Alejandro

Geographical RegionsIf applicable, indicate and rank up to 3 geographical regions covered by or related to your proposal. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

Rank Code Region

1

2

3

1

2

3

CountriesIf applicable, indicate and rank up to 5 countries covered by or related to your proposal. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

Rank Code

4

5

1130

1000

1100

1200

3204

Country Prov./State

BC

CA

Application WEBPersonal information will be stored in the Personal Information Bank for the appropriate program.

Page 6

Application WEB

Personnel costs

Student salaries and benefits/Stipends

Undergraduate

34,20055 34,200Masters 34,200 34,20034,2005 5 5

17,20022 17,200Doctorate 17,200 17,20017,2002 2 2

Non-student salaries and benefits/Stipends

Postdoctoral

75,00033 75,000Other 75,000 75,00075,0003 3 3Year 3 Year 4Travel and subsistence costs Year 1 Year 2 Year 5

Applicant/Team member(s)

1,6001,000Canadian travel 1,000 3,2003,000

3,0003,000Foreign travel 3,000 4,4503,650Students

1,200800Canadian travel 800 1,2001,200

2,5002,500Foreign travel 2,500 3,0003,000

Other expenses

2,000Professional/Technical services 1,500 1,500 2,0002,000

1,000Supplies 1,000 1,000 1,0001,000Non-disposable equipment

3,5003,500Computer hardware 3,500 2,0002,000

1,0001,000Other 1,000 1,0001,000Other expenses (specify)

7,800Communication of results 7,800 7,800 7,7507,750

35,000Workshp/ Communty/field activi 36,500 36,500 33,00034,000

15,000Compensation Partner Organizat 15,000 15,000 15,00015,000

Total 200,000 200,000200,000 200,000 200,000

Year 3





Funds Requested from SSHRC



No. Amount

Year 1 Year 2

No. Amount No. Amount

Year 4

No. Amount

Year 5

No. Amount


Rojas, Alejandro

Page 7

For each budget year, estimate as accurately as possible the research costs that you are asking SSHRC to fund through a grant. For eachPersonnel costs category, enter the number of individuals to be hired and specify the total amount required. For each of the othercategories, enter the total amount required.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Alejandro Rojas

1

Budget Justification – Funds Requested from SSHRC

The following budget expenses refer to the costs incurred through the research activities of the whole team and the overall direction and management of the Project. Research activity expenses include funding for personnel, including the salaries of graduate students and replacement salaries for community-based Co-Investigators. These expenses also include part-time staff salaries for project administration and technical coordination activities. The budget is requested to cover costs of making the research alliance fully functional, ensuring a high level of communication among the entire team. The budget will cover research activities and support the implementation of Community Impact Projects. The large number of co-investigators and organizational partners requires significant support from a dedicated team that includes salaries for the Project Coordinator, Project Community Liaison, a Project Manager and Graduate Student Research Assistants (GRA), and partial salary replacements or compensations for time taking away from the regular responsibilities of three Co-Investigators from community-based organizations. Funds are also requested to cover expenses resulting from meetings of the whole team, meal allowances, computer hardware and software, dissemination activities, travel to conferences for the PI and team members, and the implementation of a project website.

Personnel Costs

Students Salaries and Benefits: Wages and benefits for 5 MA/MSc students at a rate of $19 per hour, for 10 hours per week, for 36 weeks per year and 2 doctoral students at a rate of $24 per hour, for 10 hours per week, for 36 weeks per year. Funded student participation will involve Master’s and PhD level graduate students as GRAs. Non-student salaries and benefits: Salary and benefits for the members of the CURA Coordinating Committee (CCC) include one part-time Project Coordinator, one part-time Project Manager and a Community Liaison at $25,000 per year each. Because of the truly multi-stakeholder nature of this project, the intricacies of the interrelationships among the many participants and partners, and the complexity of the research framework and its multi-level dissemination activities (not just academic dissemination, but also outreach and public education), these three administrative and technical positions are critical to the success of the project. The Project Coordinator is a member of the CURA Project Coordinating Committee (CCC) working directly with the PI in the day-to-day functioning of the Project. He will be responsible for directing communication and information between the GRAs and the PI & Co-Investigators. The position will involve overseeing the preparation of project resource materials and facilitating the activities of the team by assisting the PI in coordinating the overall project research and knowledge mobilization strategies, in consultation with the Learning Centre at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (FLFS). The Project Coordinator will be responsible for assisting the PI in recruiting, training, and logistic supervision of GRAs. We intend to hire Will Valley, an elementary and high school teacher on study leave, with many years of involvement with environmental campaigns and experience in the integration of school gardens with curriculum and community. He has been involved, from the early stages, in the development of this grant proposal and also has a strong interest and experience in food and educational policy issues. Mr. Valley is currently a PhD student in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and his supervisor is the Principal Investigator. The Project Manager is a member of the CURA Project Coordinating Committee (CCC). She will work with the PI in identifying potential project opportunities and networking with other projects with similar goals elsewhere; preparing project schedules and budgets; tracking activity progress against schedules; maintaining the records management infrastructure for project activities; acquiring and managing the resources required to carry out project activities, such as tracking time and resources devoted to various project activities with the budgets; and, acting as a liaison between the Financial


2

Services department and the project management for policy and procedure and having signing authority on all project-related expenditures. The Project Manager will be responsible for engaging with a network of researchers and organizations in Ecuador, where there is an expressed interest in implementing a similar project. We are intending to hire Elena Orrego, MA in Anthropology, with many years of experience and expertise in business management, intercultural communication, and international and national project management. She has excellent communication and practical conflict resolution skills. Elena has volunteered her time and energy in all aspect of the development of the full grant application. She has been a Research Associate with the PI for over 20 years in their work as researchers and trainers in intercultural communication and inter-ethnic relations. She is currently a coordinator in a University Partnerships Cooperation and Development program. The projects main focus is an ecosystems approach to health, funded by CIDA, between UBC and four Ecuadorian universities. The Project Community Liaison is a member of the CURA Coordinating Committee (CCC) and will be its direct link between the latter and the community-based and area-based project partners. He will connect the interests and practical concerns of the community-based and area-based partners and co-investigators with the CCC. The Community Liaison will also assist in communicating and implementing the project goals and work plans through acting as a bridge between all research partners and project stakeholders. To that effect, the Liaison must work with the Project Coordinator, GRAs and community- and area-based Co-Investigators in order to facilitate engagement of school authorities. We intend to hire Brent Mansfield, and elementary school teacher, school-community garden coordinator, and member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council. He has significant experience in community engagement and the organization of food related programs in schools. He has experience in food and educational policy issues and acted as the CURA Community Liaison during the development of the CURA full grant application.

Travel: It is our intention to make every possible effort to minimize travel in the project to lessen the potential GHG emissions of the project (approximately $8,520 per year). The expenses are to support the participation of the PI, team members and graduate students in national and international conferences. Also some expenses must be allocated to travel costs of one Co-Investigator that will travel once a year to team annual meetings in Vancouver (Toronto-Vancouver).

Other expenses: Professional Technical Services: Expenses ($3000 per year) are to support the creation and maintenance of the Project’s website and computer support for team members. Although the Learning Centre in the FLFS at UBC will make significant in-kind contributions, it is anticipated that in periods of staff shortage there will be a need of contracting out staff with specific skills (i.e. graphic designer). Supplies: Expenses ($1000 per year) for telephone, long distance calls, teleconferencing, printer and facsimile toner cartridges, stationary, software and other office supplies not provided by the participant organizations in the Project. Non-Disposable Equipment: Computer hardware: Laptops will be purchased for fieldwork, PCs, scanners, and printers. Other: Purchase of academic software licences and equipment maintenance if necessary. Other Expenses (specify): Communication of Results: These expenses are to cover annual and semi-annual CURA Project Coordinating Committee (CCC) meetings, public outreach, conferences and all the production of promotional materials to engage the community and other stakeholders. Workshops, Conferences, Field Activities and Community Engagement: Funds will be required for the organization of small, annual or bi-annual conferences or summer institutes including the team and other stakeholders (school teachers, parents groups) in the project. In order to be successful in our Community


3

Impact Projects (CIPs), we need to engage community participation through workshops. For our Field Activities, we also anticipate significant expenses in the delivery of specific CIPs in the schools. However, these cannot be specified at this point because the methodology requires a process of careful consultation and engagement of the schools communities where these projects will take place. Expenses will include research costs (administration of surveys, focus groups with parents, teachers and students; purchase of materials for the construction of school-community gardens; transportation of groups of university students to the schools; technical supplies and others). Compensation for Partner Organizations: We are also asking for $15,000 per year to compensate contributions made to the Project by community-based, partner organizations (EYA, PHABC and SPEC) that have Co-investigators taking time from their regular work in order to provide support for CURA Project activities.

Funds from Other Sources

Cash Contributions

Should this CURA project be funded at the level requested, the University of British Columbia’s Vice President Research Office will commit to a total cash contribution of $50,000 over five years.

In-kind Contributions: *In-kind contributions for co-investigators were calculated based on their

contribution time to the project and their estimated salaries, benefits and overhead costs.

University of British Columbia - Faculty of Land and Food Systems: Principal Investigator, Dr.

Alejandro Rojas: 40% of his working time ($120K per year total salary). In addition of his research responsibilities, Dr. Rojas is the Co-Instructor of LFS 250, the course in which the Project will be substantially based. 1/3 of this course is directly dedicated to the Project and practically all activities in the course provide the background preparation for the 200 undergraduate students involved in school projects. Also his graduate course LFS 502 (Participatory Research Methods) will have the Project as a central component. Co-Investigator Dr. Brent Skura is a co-instructor of LFS 250. Thus, besides his involvement in research activities, part of his teaching time will be contributed to the background preparation of the 200 undergraduate students involved in school projects. In total he will contribute 10% of his working time to the Project. Co-Investigator Art Bomke is a co-instructor of LFS 250. Besides his involvement in research activities, part of his teaching time will be contributed to the background preparation of the 200 undergraduate students involved in school projects. In addition Dr. Bomke’s course LFS 350 will dedicate some working teams of students to work in this Project. In total he will contribute 10% of his working time to the Project. Co-Investigator Dr. Andrew Riseman is the instructor of LFS 450, a course that will contribute 10 working teams of fourth year students (50 in total) to school projects. Thus, besides his involvement in the research activities of the project, part of his teaching time will be contributing to the background preparation of the undergraduate students involved in school projects. In total he will contribute 10% of his working time to the Project. Co-Investigator Dr. Gwen Chapman – apart from her involvement in the research activities of the project, part of her teaching time will be contributed to the background preparation of the undergraduate and graduate students involved in school projects. In total she will contribute 10% of her working time to the Project. Co-Investigator Cyprien Lomas - as the Director of the Learning Centre, which provides support to all teaching and research activities of the FLFS, he will contribute directly or indirectly (through supervision of some of his staff) to the project. In total he will contribute about 5% of his working time. Co-Investigator Mark Bomford, Manager of UBC Farm will dedicate 5% of his working time to the project. Teaching Assistants in LFS 250 and 450 - 30% of the time of 8 TAs will be dedicated to the Project through their activities in both courses. These TAs are in charge of the breakout rooms where the students of both courses spend about 50% of their time working in teams preparing for their projects. 5


4

TAs from LFS 250 will work for 5 weeks for 12 hours per week yearly ($28/hour) and 3 TAs from LFS 450 will work 5 weeks for 10 hours per week (per year) at the same rate. 260 undergraduate students will work in the school projects - they will work directly in the schools during 5 weeks, 6 hours per week. Overall, approximately one-third of the course work is dedicated to the Project. If their contribution is given a dollar value equivalent to minimum salary ($8.00 per hour), their direct contribution to CIPs (the specific time they will spend on the field activities in the delivery of the Project) is 30 hours per week during the last month of the term: 30x8x260= $62,400.

Faculty of Education: Co-Investigator Jolie Myers-Smith - in total she will contribute 10% of her working time to the Project, in addition to her supervision of two graduate students from her Faculty who will be involved in the Project.

School of Community and Regional Planning: Co-Investigator Wendy Mendes – apart from her involvement in the research activities of the project, portions of her teaching time will be contributed to the background preparation of the undergraduate students involved in school projects. In total she will contribute 10% of her working time to the Project.

Simon Fraser University: Co-Investigator Chris Miewald - in total she will contribute 5% of her working time to the Project.

Ryerson University: Co-investigator Mustafa Koc - in total he will contribute 5% of his working time to the Project.

Vancouver School Board: annual in-kind from the VSB: $2,850 – (Sustainability Coordinator); $4800 – (in-kind meeting space); $250 – (food/snacks for meetings); $800 – (Admin support); $3,300 – (other in-kind VSB staff time – grounds, teachers, facilities, etc) $12,000; Total VSB in-kind over 5 years $60,000.

Vancouver Coastal Health: Co-Investigator Barbara Crocker - over the 5 years of the project, she will contribute 5% of her working time + 20% for benefits. Another employee from VCH will join the project in one year, on a similar basis.

Community Based Partners

We have estimated the joint in-kind contributions of our community-based partners at $146, 656 (average 10% of the working time from the Co-Investigators) for the five years of the project. They will contribute specific expertise, experiences and resources in the delivery of the various components of the project as described in the Partnerships and Alliances section of this proposal. Their contribution is essential to guarantee that the project is a true representation of community-engaged scholarship and to ensure the community relevance of the Community Impact Projects.


Full organization nameContribution type

Confirmed

Application WEB


Rojas, Alejandro

Total funds from other sources 304,462 304,461

Year 1Year 5

x

x

Co Investigators Community based partner

Vancouver School Board


Other - Students and TA's

Other - plus Co-Investigators

Funds from Other Sources

Personal infomation will be stored in the Personal Information Bank for the appropriate program.

In Kind

Cash

In Kind

In Kind

In Kind

29,332

173,090

80,040

10,000

12,000

Year 2

29,331

173,090

80,040

10,000

12,000

Year 3

29,331

173,090

80,040

10,000

12,000

304,461

Year 4

29,331

173,090

80,040

10,000

12,000

304,461

29,331

173,090

80,040

10,000

12,000

304,461





You must include all other sources of funding for the proposed research. Indicate whether these funds have been confirmed or not. Where applicable, include (a) the partners’ material contributions (e.g. cash and in-kind), and (b) funds you have requested from other sources for proposed research related to this application.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Alejandro Rojas!

1

1. Statement of Relevance

This project emerges from concerns about the vulnerabilities and resiliency of our global food

systems, and its local manifestations [1,2,3,4,5].!According to the recent High Level Conference on

World Food Security, “securing world food security in light of the impact of climate change may be one

of the biggest challenges we face in this century” [6]. In the past, food security was associated primarily

with obtaining sufficient food, however, the concept has evolved to encompass a broader set of

ecological, social, and economic considerations including nutrition, moral and cultural acceptability or

appropriateness, safety, ecological sustainability, self-reliance, social justice and human dignity [7,8,9].

Although food security issues may be most apparent in developing countries, issues including hunger,

obesity, access to sustainable food sources, and vulnerability to ecological crises, are prevalent in

Canada [10,11,12, 13].

Recent provincial legislation in BC requires all public institutions to be carbon neutral by 2012 [14].

As part of this mandate, all public agencies will have to reduce and offset emissions in order to achieve

GHG emission neutrality as well as report on their operational and behavioural changes each calendar

year. As recent studies have demonstrated, diets are emerging as significant contributors to carbon

footprints, accounting for up to twice the amount of equivalent CO2 emissions as driving in North

America [15]; and for 70% of the Canadian population, food is the most significant contributor to

household ecological footprint [16]. In Europe the concerns are similar [17]. It is evident that public

school food systems, and the policies that guide them, have the potential to drastically affect overall

institutional emissions [18,19,20].

To achieve food security and sustainability, it is crucial to overcome the ‘distancing’ and

disconnection that characterizes the current global food system. Spatial, temporal, economic and social

distancing contribute to epistemological and psychological distancing: “few consumers have much

knowledge of the biological, social or technical parameters and implications of food production in the

global village” [21,22,23,24]. Strategy 20 of the BC Agriculture Plan directly identifies the growing

divide between youth and the origins of their food, and stresses the need to reconnect young people with

the land, link urban and agricultural communities together and provide hands-on learning opportunities

to the leaders of tomorrow [25]. These goals coincide fully with the central objectives of our project and

the objectives of the CURA program and the Canadian Environmental Issues–Special Call. The

participants in our project - principals, teachers, community food security organizations, food providers,

policy makers, health and education governance institutions, school children/youth, university students

and professors - will be investigating new ways of integrating teaching, research and community service

learning as well as exploring new methods for integrating environmental sustainability into their

research, classrooms, policy and organizational mandates. The complexity involved in shifting

institutional and regional food systems towards sustainability and adapting to climate change will

require creating new expertise in all aspects of the food system, from agricultural production (and its

associated inputs) through to processing, packing, transport, retailing, home storage and preparation, and

final disposal, as well as experts in institutional adaptations to climate change. These are enormous

undertakings that can only be attained through strong collaboration and mutual aid and learning among

the key stakeholders.

Stakeholder participation and collaboration is a foundational tenet of our guiding methodology,

Community-Based Action Research (CBAR) [26]. The successful outcomes of CBAR are the practical

applications of the research process. Community decision-making guides the actions of the project and

immediately benefits the communities involved in the research. Thus, the research and the application

nourish each other, creating a narrative of best practices, which will have applications in other

jurisdictions. The project will be a success when the community is well along the path towards a

sustainable food system with progressive policy, dynamic community networks and citizens aware of,

and engaged in, actions that will support their own health and the health of the planet.


1

2. Summary of Proposed Research

Community University Collaborative Project on Food Security in Vancouver Schools and

Institutional Adaptations to Climate Change: Our global food system has delivered an unprecedented

capacity to increase food production and distribution. However, this has had a striking impact on the

environment and depletion of natural resources without resolving the problems of hunger and

widespread malnutrition, particularly affecting children [1]. Through recognizing food as a fundamental

element of the organization of society, this collaborative research project addresses the critical issues of

regional food security, food system sustainability, and institutional adaptations to climate change within

the context of Vancouver schools. It will do this through the following activities: 1) exploring ways in

which the school system can contribute to reconnecting people, food, and the environment; 2) engaging

in curriculum development and integration to promote understanding of food system sustainability and

opportunities for students to connect with their sources of food; 3) developing concrete policy

recommendations for mitigating the environmental impacts of institutional food systems; and 4)

strengthening networks of food security organizations to enhance regional access to sustainable food

procurement sources, enabling key stakeholders in the local food system to be actively engaged.

Through community-based action research and collaboration with key regional food security, health,

education, and environmental organizations, we will investigate food security and sustainability issues

with students, parents, staff, and administrators of Vancouver schools, with a direct involvement of

university students in school-based projects. We will examine the nutritional, ecological, social and

economic practices of school cafeterias and other food delivery programs; the environmental, social and

economic impact of on-site food production, processing and preparation on these practices; the influence

of curriculum on student learning about the relationships between food security, sustainability and

climate change; and, the impacts of creating a sustainable school food system as a method of decreasing

environmental impacts and contributing to institutional adaptations to climate change. The originality of

this collaborative research initiative lies in its broad evaluation of school food programs, practices, and

policies from the perspective of system sustainability (ecological, social and economic) and adaptation,

the creation of linkages to community and city-wide food policy, and population health promotion. All

of this is situated under the broad concept of Food Security, meaning that the sustainability concerns

will not be addressed in isolation; rather, the issues will always be considered in-context with other

aspects of food security (availability, acceptability, appropriateness, affordability, and safety).

The accomplishment of the project objectives will contribute theoretical understanding (knowledge

creation) and practical applications (action and knowledge mobilization) in the areas of food education

across the curriculum, food policy for schools, and food system changes that will support environmental

sustainability, including: 1) evaluating and developing food related curricula with a focus on food

system sustainability and public institutional adaptations to climate change; 2) evaluating, with the

Vancouver School Board, the need for new policy to increase food security in schools and decrease

institutions’ contributions to climate change; 3) contributing to the creation of food policy and practices

that promote a sustainable regional food system; 4) creating connections between university and

community that will extend beyond the future of this project; and, 5) linking theoretical learning to

practical application to educate university and high school students (as well as ourselves) as

professionals and citizens with a sound knowledge of the relationships between food security,

sustainability, and climate change.

New provincial legislation in BC requires all public institutions to be carbon neutral by 2012; school

boards across the province will be required to report on their operational and behavioural efforts to

decrease their overall greenhouse gas emissions. Food systems are amongst the greatest contributors to

institutional carbon footprints and policy that deals with their role will therefore be of great importance.

It is our hope that this research can be used by other school boards in the province, across Canada and

beyond, as well as other divisions of the public sector, in their necessary shift toward carbon neutrality

and system sustainability. !


1

3. Detailed Description

Problem and Significance:

This project emerges from concerns about the vulnerabilities and sustainability of our global food

systems and its local manifestations [1,2,3,4,5]. According to the recent High Level Conference on World

Food Security, “securing world food security in light of the impact of climate change may be one of the

biggest challenges we face in this century” [6]. In the past, food security was associated primarily with

obtaining sufficient food; however, the concept has evolved to encompass a broader set of social, ecological

and economic considerations. The conceptual framework of our collaborative research project is based on

our definition of Food Security, which encompasses the dimensions of Affordability, Availability,

Accessibility, Appropriateness (nutritionally, culturally, and morally), Safety, and Sustainability

(represented by the acronym AAAASS). In this multi-dimensional definition of food security we both

recognize and emphasize the reciprocity of human and ecological health in which “food system

sustainability” plays a critical role [7,8,9,10]. Although food security issues may be most apparent in

developing countries, issues including hunger, obesity, access to sustainable food sources, and vulnerability

to ecological crises, are prevalent in Canada [11,12,13,14].

It is through an environmental sustainability paradigm that our project confronts the need for

systematic change in the way societal institutions function in order to avoid the potentially

devastating impacts of climate change. Initiatives that address food security as defined above, have

positive, congruent outcomes that coincide with efforts to address climate change. For 70% of the

Canadian population, food is the most significant contributor to household ecological footprint [15].

In the EU the concerns are similar as over 30% of GHGs from consumer purchases come from

the food and drink sector [16,17]. The latest conservative estimates from the Food Climate

Research Network in the UK suggest that almost one-fifth of the UK’s total GHG emissions are

associated with their food and drink [18,19]. And, a recent study in London has identified public

institute food procurement as having a particularly large part to play in the GHG emissions in the

city [20]. The analysis also shows that London’s food system overlaps with all other major sectors

that contribute to overall GHG emissions in the Climate Change Action Plan, demonstrating that

actions taken to mitigate climate change in the food sector will coincide with efforts in other

sectors [21].

To achieve food security, which is inseparable from sustainability, it is crucial to overcome

the ‘distancing’ and disconnection which characterizes the current global food system. Spatial,

temporal, economic and social distancing contribute to epistemological and psychological distancing:

“few consumers have much knowledge of the biological, social or technical parameters and

implications of food production in the global village” [22,23,24,25]. Our educational system has

proven to be a highly effective medium through which issues of important social change influence

the youngest members of our society, and this influence can be used to change our food culture.

Schools have campaigned successfully against racism, homophobia, and smoking. Schools are

avenues through which students have learned about the 3Rs (reduce, reduce and recycle) and many

have had a long history incorporating agriculture into the classroom. The problems we are facing

require a profound change in the cultural fabric of our society, and it is natural that the

educational system, as one of the most powerful agencies of socialization, be considered a key

avenue through which such change can be spearheaded. Food offers great opportunities to integrate

knowledge and skills across disciplines because it provides a palpable connection between humans

and nature. Strategy 20 of the BC Agriculture Plan identifies the growing divide between youth

and the origins of their food, and stresses the need to reconnect young people with the land, link

urban and agricultural communities together and provide hands-on learning opportunities to the

leaders of tomorrow [26]. By increasing food and sustainability literacy together in our educational

systems, we can begin to overcome passivity, and the uncritical and dependent consumerism that

characterizes our society’s relationship with food. As Wendell Berry [27] states, we need people to


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begin to “eat responsibly” and an understanding of the complexity of our food system and its

impacts on ecosystems is a necessary precursor for this change to occur. This is also the initial

step towards fostering a food culture, in which consumers are ‘food citizens’ who understand the

impacts of their food choices on social, ecological and economic sustainability [28].

In Vancouver, a recent resurgence in the popularity of school gardening is occurring to help

young people understand their connection to the earth through the food they grow. Our community

co-investigators and partner organizations are key players in this emergent movement (refer to the

Partnerships & Alliances section). Through public health organizations, school salad bars and farm-

to-school programs have been initiated to improve understanding of the links between healthy food,

healthy bodies and healthy communities. Non-profit groups have been creating programs to develop

and incorporate school gardens into the school curriculum and engage youth with the sources of

their food. Educational researchers at the UBC Farm have been providing opportunities for

elementary classes to learn how to grow their own food through intergenerational mentorship with

community members, and concurrently are developing farm-to-school curriculum resources for

teachers to draw upon. At UBC, the assessment and change of the university’s food system has

been a pillar of an 8-year, collaborative project between students, staff, faculty, and campus food

providers [29]. However, most of these groups are working independently, without sufficient

knowledge of related initiatives that are being undertaken throughout the city. Each organization

feels the constraining of time and resources that are perpetually lacking in these ventures. This

research collaboration will create synergies between project partners to strengthen our collective

efforts beyond what is possible through individual research grants. Insights from projects that would

normally be kept within the structures of an organization will now be shared, providing

opportunities for impact in areas that have been kept apart. Best practices will be linked with

curriculum and policy, amplifying the outcomes of individual efforts through new networks of

cooperation.

Due to the complex nature inherent in a school food system, our CURA project requires the

collaboration of experts in nutritional sciences, agroecology, public health, curriculum development,

school and city policy, adaptations to climate change, urban agriculture, community service learning

and youth engagement. By the end of the project, new leaders and experts in all aspects of

sustainable food systems will emerge at the undergraduate, graduate, professorial, professional and

community levels. The knowledge generated through this project will inform other school boards

and public institutes throughout North America and beyond. These organizations can learn about

the necessary transformations towards more sustainable food systems through our successful

experiences.

This project has been informed by examples of successful policy and initiatives documented

locally and elsewhere [30,31,32,33,34]. In California, the School Lunch Initiative in the Berkeley

Unified School District [35] has had tremendous success in promoting healthy, seasonal, locally

grown food in school cafeterias. They have created district-wide food and garden-based curricula

and have made remarkable changes to district food policy. One of the keys to their success is the

ongoing collaboration with community-based food security organizations, which provide specific

support and expertise that is often difficult to find in a school system. The lessons from California

can provide guidance to our systems but truly meaningful policy changes will only be successful if

they are investigated in our region because climatic, ecological, cultural and political specificities

play an important role in determining the extent to which certain aspects of a regional food system

can be realistically altered. Other jurisdictions within the province, within Canada and around the

world, will be able to initiate transformations within their own food systems drawing lessons from

the documentation of our project’s intended outcomes. We will endeavour to identify universal

barriers that each locality will come upon due to the current global nature of our food systems,

and articulate narratives describing the principles and processes that guide success stories. The


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involvement of researchers from Ryerson University and the PI’s involvement in research in Latin

America will augment the project and deliver the CURA outcomes outside of BC.

Mission and Objectives:

Due to the urgency of our current situation and the need for action in implementing school

food system transformation, the mission of the proposed research project is to contribute theoretical

understanding (knowledge creation) and practical applications (action and knowledge mobilization) in

the areas of food education across the curriculum, multi-level food system changes (in production,

procurement, distribution, delivery, preparation, and end products recycling/composting) that will

support regional food security with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and policy

recommendations for schools.

To achieve this mission, our project team has identified the following objectives:

1. Develop and evaluate food-related curricula/activities focused on food system sustainability and

institutional adaptations to climate change, grounded in a food security (AAASS) paradigm;

2. Evaluate with the Vancouver School Board opportunities for policy development and adaptation

to increase food security in schools, decrease environmental impacts of school food systems,

and promote a sustainable regional food system;

3. Link theoretical learning to practical application to educate university, high school and

elementary students, teachers, and citizens (ourselves included) with a sound knowledge of the

relationships between food security, sustainability, and climate change;

4. Pilot specific Community Impact Projects with engaged school communities and elsewhere, to

investigate the adaptations needed to fulfill the above objectives;

5. Further develop the connections between community-based action research and community

service learning in creating community-engaged scholarship;

6. Create connections between university and community that will extend beyond this project.

Through consultation with community partners, the project has been divided into three separate yet

interdependent themes: Pedagogy, Practices, and Policy. These themes are represented by different

Community Impact Projects (CIPs) and under the direction of separate groups of co-investigators; however,

there will be considerable overlap and complementarity between the CIPs as actions in one project will

influence the directions of another. In the interface of the Pedagogy and Practice themes, there will be

collaborative projects in K-12 classrooms that contribute to students’ understanding of and participation in a

more local and sustainable food system; teacher education through professional development workshops,

seminars and symposia helping teachers build support networks, skills, and knowledge needed to facilitate

practical and conceptual training in all areas of local foods systems; off-site curriculum development

through integrating and supporting the growth of community organizations to develop best practices in

working with youth and engaging them in environmental leadership training that can serve as models for (or

collaborate with) in-school programs; development of school gardens to establish connections between

sustainable school gardens and food served in cafeterias and decrease nutrient waste through establishing

working compost systems on school grounds. These themes will address the following research questions:

1. What are the best methods for building, managing, sustaining, and integrating into the

curriculum school vegetable gardens and fruit orchards?

2. What are the best methods for increasing food and sustainability literacy amongst schoolteachers

and students?

3. How can cafeterias and other school food services be integrated in the school curriculum to

provide learning opportunities for all students to obtain fundamental skills of planning, preparing,

cooking and consuming healthy, nutritious and wholesome meals within an agreeable,

community-enhancing and inviting physical space?

4. How can community-engaged scholarship enhance undergraduate and graduate student learning

of food systems sustainability?


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Within the Policy theme, there will be investigations in changes to policies that would address the

need for simplification in the process of creating and maintaining school gardens; guidelines to local and

sustainable food procurement; policy for decreasing the overall environmental impacts of a school food

system; and, policies orientated to make cafeterias and other methods of food delivery within schools

functional to the goals of secure and sustainable school food. This theme will address the following

research question:

5. What policy changes can be developed to create a sustainable school food system and at which

appropriate level (school, school board, city, province) will these changes need to take place?

The efforts in each theme will benefit from the confluence of the top-down and bottom-up approaches

inherent in the project. The Pedagogies and Practices themes are more focused on the latter, having on-site,

classroom oriented CIPs. The Policy theme will have CIPs investigating more of the former approach,

requiring an understanding of the successful outcomes from the other two themes to guide its

recommendations.

Structure of the Research Alliance and Governance:

The proposed research builds upon and enhances the complexity, scope and impact of a

project that has already been underway for 10 years, involving 2,000 students from the Faculty of

Land and Food Systems’ – the Food System Project in Vancouver (FSPV). From 2000-04 and

2007-08, 7 cohorts have been involved in carrying-out food security assessments in Vancouver’s 23

‘communities’ [36]. In 2004-05, the students focused on Vancouver high schools with the

permission of the Vancouver School Board (VSB), whereby 60 UBC student teams (7 members

each) developed a research design for investigating food security in 2 of the 18 Vancouver high

schools and their catchment areas; also pilot projects were conducted in two schools, including 60

focus groups and pre-testing of a questionnaire with 300 high school students, with the intent to

elaborate and refine a methodology for subsequent stages of study. Through the process of seeking

formal funding for the CURA project, a new level of community collaboration has been created.

For the past 10 years, the project has primarily had a university-generated agenda, shaped and

developed by the Land and Food Systems teaching team at UBC; although there has been varying

degrees of community collaboration through guest lectures and dialogue with partner organizations.

The results of the past years’ research have been translated into recommendations sent to the

Vancouver City Council and the Vancouver Food Policy Council, while mutually enriching learning

was obtained from the latter’s involvement in the project.

We have conceptualized the relationship between the university and the community

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