Using a Community Farmer's Market to Engage Students from an Alternative School
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Georgia Southern University
Second Presenter's Institution
Auburn University
Third Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fourth Presenter's Institution
N/A
Fifth Presenter's Institution
N/A
Strand #1
Home: Family & Community Engagement
Strand #2
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
In an attempt to build school/community connections, we sought to explore the experiences of students from an an alternative school when working with a community farmer's market.
Brief Program Description
This presentation discusses the experiences of students from an alternative school while working at a summer-long farmer's market. We explore how school/community partnerships were fostered. Further, we document how students from an alternative school learned about food systems. Finally, we document student growth as well as the researchers' growth.
Summary
Most alternative education settings serve students who are at risk of school failure or who are marginalized from the traditional school system (Becker, 2010; Carver, Lewis, 2010; Lange & Sletten, 2002; Schwab, et al., 2016). The researchers worked with the staff of a local alternative school to establish a school garden. The goal was to create a welcoming environment while also having the students engage the community by donating produce.
The donation of produce was a way to combat local food insecurity. Food insecurity occurs when people do not have access to a sufficient amount of the nutrition needed to live active and healthy lives (World Health Organization, 1996). Though, when school is not in session during the summer, limited opportunities existed for students to grow and donate produce. 4 students from the alternative school eventually would help organize a community farmer’s market.
This presentation discusses the experiences of students from an alternative school while working at a summer-long farmer's market. Data were collected and analyzed using observations from the presenters. Both researchers collected data in field notebooks while working at the farmer’s market alongside the students. Notes were then compared.
We explore how school/community partnerships were fostered. Further, we document how students from an alternative school learned about food systems. Finally, we document student growth as well as the researchers' growth.
Over the course of the summer, a stronger partnership was created with a community food bank. In that, students furthered their education related to food systems while also combatting local food insecurity.
Evidence
Family and Community Engagement.
Learning Objectives
To learn about school/community connections.
To explore more from alternative education.
To explore the community embeddedness of farmer's markets.
Biographical Sketch
Eric Hogan is an Assistant Professor in Educational Psychology at Georgia Southern University.
Sean Forbes is a Full Professor in Educational Psychology at Auburn University.
Keyword Descriptors
School/Community Connections, Alternative Education, Farmer's Markets
Presentation Year
2021
Start Date
3-10-2021 1:40 PM
End Date
3-10-2021 2:40 PM
Recommended Citation
Hogan, Eric and Forbes, Sean, "Using a Community Farmer's Market to Engage Students from an Alternative School" (2021). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 66.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2021/2021/66
Using a Community Farmer's Market to Engage Students from an Alternative School
This presentation discusses the experiences of students from an alternative school while working at a summer-long farmer's market. We explore how school/community partnerships were fostered. Further, we document how students from an alternative school learned about food systems. Finally, we document student growth as well as the researchers' growth.