DESCRIPTION
This quarter I will be continuing to deepen my understanding of the social and ecological implications of our food systems through the lens of critical eating studies. I will explore how we can disturb the “business as usual” foodie mindset. I will learn how food justice researchers and authors are paving a path away from unethical and exploitive frameworks and forging new paths that explore ecological solutions and are finding ways to decolonize social eating practices. I will deconstruct the farm to table commodified eating experience as well as continue to establish the skills necessary to become a professional in the coordination of fundraising events field of work. I will do this through a ten-week special event internship with Evergreen’s manager of special events, Correan Barker. I will assist with the foundation’s fundraising events, alumni/donor stewardship events, as well as important campus events. Correan Barker will also design weekly hypothetical events that will be designed for me to understand the scope and the different aspects necessary for coordinating illustrious events that navigate the socio-political landscape of the current era.
| Learning Objectives: | Activities: | What my sponsor will evaluate: |
| Learning event coordination and beginning to plan a farm to table dining experience for Alumni this coming summer. I would like to learn what it means to work professionally as an event coordinator, fundraiser, advancement officer. | I will gain event coordination experience through an internship with Evergreen’s Manager of Special Events, Correan Barker. I will gain this experience through assisting with fundraising events, weekly checkins, assignments, and working in the advancement office 20 hours a week. I will also be working with fellow classmates, Annie Sloan and graduate Daniel Saunders, to begin the planning for our summer dinner. This will include curating a website that will outline the process and provide the necessary information for this dinner to be replicated by future students. Mapping out tool in which to learn how to work with a budget, fundraising, marketing strategies, resourcing, communications, event decor, menu planning, and meal pairings. | My faculty will evaluate written articles and photo galleries on my wordpress website. |
| I will advance my current website building skills and learn how to optimize these skills through WordPress blogging tools that would be valuable to marketing and creating my own website for future employment opportunities. | Learn how to creatively work with online tools and resources to create a blog that is not only visually stunning but provides purposeful and compelling content. I will also seek out opportunities to attend workshops and watch Lynda.com tutorials for graphic design tips. This could include learning how to use photoshop and other web building applications. | My faculty will evaluate the overall look and feel of my WordPress blog. Does it display a comprehensive and attractive interface? |
| Examining food system reform, and the efforts that are being taken to provide quality food that is not only healthy for the consumer but good for the earth. I will be exploring questions such as: How can we move towards more ethical consumption in a Trumpian era? Why does farm to table matter? How can we combat oppressive food systems and move towards more ethical practices? | Reading class texts in conjunction with excerpts from: Edible Identities: Food as Cultural Heritage, by Ronda L. Brulotte and Michael A. Di Giovine, The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan, Farms with a Future: Creating and Growing a Sustainable Farm Business by Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders, and The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber | My faculty will evaluate weekly blog posts that summarize my perspective with facts from texts. |
Evaluation of Work
The student will complete all assignments as described on the syllabus, including weekly documentation on the Project pages of the SOS program website. Whenever possible, the student will provide the faculty with a field supervisor, subcontractor, or mentor’s descriptive assessment of in-program ILC work completed with their guidance, expertise, or supervision by week 10. The student
will complete comprehensive mid-quarter and final narrative self-evaluations and submit them to faculty prior to mid-quarter and final end of quarter student-faculty conferences. For the final blog post on Project websites, each student will post, and when possible present in class on Tuesday of week 10, a 10-minute PowerPoint Presentation of 10-15 slides with text that demonstrates the highlights of the student’s in-program ILC Project website.