Vision

In moving through the project, our group focused on creating a positive system surrounding food at our school while also encouraging students to reduce food waste in a way that celebrates food and gives students control over food. In our research, we found that the food waste was stemming from a lack of knowledge of where food waste goes, connection to ingredients and control over portion size and preference of foods and tastes.

Action

We utilized systems thinking and the design thinking process to answer the critical question of how we can reduce food waste at our school, and thus reduce our environmental footprint. Students began with interviews and analyzing systems structures and mental models that result in food waste during our mandatory hot lunch program. They then iterated and prototyped and tested solutions while getting feedback from stakeholders, and came up with a two part project to implement at the school level.

Firstly, students focused on a campaign to educate the student body about where food waste comes from and where it goes if it is thrown away into the food waste bin (landfill or waste to energy site). As part of the campaign, students wrote an original story to be delivered in an engaging way for younger children.

Secondly, students came up with the idea to celebrate food and make eating more fun as a way to reduce food waste. To do this, students will host a school-wide picnic both in the school, then in a local park, where students will be given more autonomy in dishing up their own portion sizes and following student-created criteria (minimum portion size, non-negotiable ingredients).

We hope that by restructuring the relationship with food and its relation to climate change, students will be motivated to reduce their food waste in a way that celebrates food and brings joy to eating. Our current structure for eating at school is that students are served a plate of food, which results in many of our students feeling a lack of control and success around eating.

Reflection & Celebration

Our project is continuing to unfold as we launch our picnic-style celebration at the end of May in our school, then move outdoors to a local park for another picnic.