Parkway’s mission states that they want to ensure that all students are able to “respond to the challenges of an ever-changing world”. This directly connects to the idea of global citizenship, which is defined as “someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community’s values and practices.” By definition, Parkway’s mission talks about creating global citizens. But are they really doing this?
Parkway needs to focus on educating students to be global citizens. In order to do this, they must make students aware of the challenges in our world and how to approach these challenges. Being a global citizen requires students to look at issues bigger than themselves. This requires awareness, which is something that Parkway should provide their students. Parkway should focus on educating a student beyond the “core curriculum” and focus on educating students on the challenges that our world is facing.
A big challenge in our world currently is the global issue of hunger. It is important that Parkway continues to make efforts to educate their students about hunger, and educate students on ways that they can help fix this issue.
What is Parkway doing now?
Parkway Northeast is educating students about hunger. They watch documentaries, have discussions, and help in the food pantry, However, this is mostly only during 7th grade. I think it is important to start these conversations and hands- on activities in elementary school, and continue them through high school
21st century skills:
Empathy
Collaboration
Critical and creative thinking
Self-awareness and reflection
Informed and reflective action
Ability to manage complexity and uncertainty
Parkway needs to focus on educating students to be global citizens. In order to do this, they must make students aware of the challenges in our world and how to approach these challenges. Being a global citizen requires students to look at issues bigger than themselves. This requires awareness, which is something that Parkway should provide their students. Parkway should focus on educating a student beyond the “core curriculum” and focus on educating students on the challenges that our world is facing.
A big challenge in our world currently is the global issue of hunger. It is important that Parkway continues to make efforts to educate their students about hunger, and educate students on ways that they can help fix this issue.
What is Parkway doing now?
Parkway Northeast is educating students about hunger. They watch documentaries, have discussions, and help in the food pantry, However, this is mostly only during 7th grade. I think it is important to start these conversations and hands- on activities in elementary school, and continue them through high school
21st century skills:
Empathy
Collaboration
Critical and creative thinking
Self-awareness and reflection
Informed and reflective action
Ability to manage complexity and uncertainty
Empathy
-before addressing any global issue and the ways that we can fix them, it is important to give students a reason to care, and a reason to be engaged in the learning process. Learning empathy would be the foundation for students to learn to be Global Citizenship because it teaches students to care about issues that do not directly affect them. If a student has access to 3 healthy meals a day, they are most likely not going to care that someone else does not. Or they simply will not understand it, and will not understand the need to address this issue.
Solution: Teaching students empathy comes from activities and hands-on experiences. Maybe field trips to food banks and food kitchens would give students a look at the lives of people who are in hunger.
-before addressing any global issue and the ways that we can fix them, it is important to give students a reason to care, and a reason to be engaged in the learning process. Learning empathy would be the foundation for students to learn to be Global Citizenship because it teaches students to care about issues that do not directly affect them. If a student has access to 3 healthy meals a day, they are most likely not going to care that someone else does not. Or they simply will not understand it, and will not understand the need to address this issue.
Solution: Teaching students empathy comes from activities and hands-on experiences. Maybe field trips to food banks and food kitchens would give students a look at the lives of people who are in hunger.
Hunger is Closely Related to Obesity
“In the United States, one in eight American households are food insecure, including 13 million children. "The consequences of food insecurity are profound. Children who don't have access to enough nutritious food are more likely to experience difficulty learning, behavioral issues, anxiety, and higher rates of obesity," says Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, LD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.”
-Hunger is often caused by poverty. This poverty leads to people needing to purchase food that is cheap and convenient- the cheapest and most available food is often unhealthy, processed food.
-when people are constantly eating processed food as all of their meals, it can lead to health issues, such as obesity.
-healthy food is often hard for people in poverty to access because of: food desserts, quantity over quality,
Solution: The government needs to find ways to provide people in hunger with healthy, fresh food, in order to avoid health problems that come with buying cheap, processed food. A way that Parkway can address this issue is to search for ways to provide the Parkway Food pantry with fresh foods. This is where our project ties in:
-creating (or expanding) large gardens outside of each Parkway school will help provide fresh plants that can be used in the Parkway food pantry
-chickens at the middle school will provide fresh eggs for the pantry
-greenhouses at each of the schools will help bring fresh plants into the pantry
-creating indoor gardens at each school for educational purposes, and to grow food for the pantry or lunch rooms
“In the United States, one in eight American households are food insecure, including 13 million children. "The consequences of food insecurity are profound. Children who don't have access to enough nutritious food are more likely to experience difficulty learning, behavioral issues, anxiety, and higher rates of obesity," says Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, LD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.”
-Hunger is often caused by poverty. This poverty leads to people needing to purchase food that is cheap and convenient- the cheapest and most available food is often unhealthy, processed food.
-when people are constantly eating processed food as all of their meals, it can lead to health issues, such as obesity.
-healthy food is often hard for people in poverty to access because of: food desserts, quantity over quality,
Solution: The government needs to find ways to provide people in hunger with healthy, fresh food, in order to avoid health problems that come with buying cheap, processed food. A way that Parkway can address this issue is to search for ways to provide the Parkway Food pantry with fresh foods. This is where our project ties in:
-creating (or expanding) large gardens outside of each Parkway school will help provide fresh plants that can be used in the Parkway food pantry
-chickens at the middle school will provide fresh eggs for the pantry
-greenhouses at each of the schools will help bring fresh plants into the pantry
-creating indoor gardens at each school for educational purposes, and to grow food for the pantry or lunch rooms
The Importance of Quality Food in our Lunchrooms
-Parkway has students who are impoverished, and some of them only eat meals while they are at schools. This is why healthy lunches are important in our schools- to further prevent these impoverished students from having to choose cheap, processed food and leading to health issues.
Solution:
-greenhouses at our schools will provide fresh food, without having to transport it- which is a costly thing to do, and often takes away from the freshness of the food
-Parkway has students who are impoverished, and some of them only eat meals while they are at schools. This is why healthy lunches are important in our schools- to further prevent these impoverished students from having to choose cheap, processed food and leading to health issues.
Solution:
-greenhouses at our schools will provide fresh food, without having to transport it- which is a costly thing to do, and often takes away from the freshness of the food
How does the food pantry work?
-The Parkway Food pantry is a great way to have students learn about hunger and the government’s system for helping people in poverty. It is important to allow students from Northeast middle, as well as the high school be involved with the pantry.
-Teach students: how to volunteer at the pantry, where the food comes from, how to do food drives, how to raise money for the customers and to buy more food
Solution: A summer camp held at Northeast middle school would be a great way to continue running the pantry and teaching students grade 4- 8 about the pantry
-The Parkway Food pantry is a great way to have students learn about hunger and the government’s system for helping people in poverty. It is important to allow students from Northeast middle, as well as the high school be involved with the pantry.
-Teach students: how to volunteer at the pantry, where the food comes from, how to do food drives, how to raise money for the customers and to buy more food
Solution: A summer camp held at Northeast middle school would be a great way to continue running the pantry and teaching students grade 4- 8 about the pantry
How can hydroponics help create healthy food for our community?
-hydroponics are a cheap, quick, and easy make to grow plants. These plants can be grown anywhere- indoors and out.
-hydroponics are a great way to educate students (of all ages) about water, biology, the environment, etc.
Our project: a summer camp can teach students (grades 4-8) how to make hydroponics, so that they can help teach their fellow classmates during the school year. Throughout the year, students at the elementary, middle and high schools in Parkway can create hydroponics that will grow healthy food for the pantry and for the lunchrooms
-hydroponics are a cheap, quick, and easy make to grow plants. These plants can be grown anywhere- indoors and out.
-hydroponics are a great way to educate students (of all ages) about water, biology, the environment, etc.
Our project: a summer camp can teach students (grades 4-8) how to make hydroponics, so that they can help teach their fellow classmates during the school year. Throughout the year, students at the elementary, middle and high schools in Parkway can create hydroponics that will grow healthy food for the pantry and for the lunchrooms
How is our project going to help create Global Citizens in Parkway?
-Gardening:
-Gardening:
- Work on expanding the current garden at Parkway Northeast middle school to create more room to grow plants for the pantry. This includes building a fence to block out animals, bringing in chickens, and simply expanding the surface area of the garden
- Make gardens at each elementary, middle and high school in Parkway. These gardens will be used to teach students how to grow plants, and then use the plants in the lunchroom
- Teach students how to make hydroponics for gardening indoors.
- Greenhouses at each school will expand that amount of food that students can grow for the lunchroom
- Gardening at each school will give Parkway fresh food that does not require transportation
- Working towards giving students more healthy, but good-tasting options
- Teaching students about the global issue of hunger, and ways that they can help
- Giving students an opportunity to work in the food pantry. This will help ensure that the pantry has people to run it over the summer, and give students an experience with volunteering
- Teach students how to garden in outdoor gardens, greenhouses, indoor gardens, how to make hydroponics
- Ensure that Parkway’s food pantry is not just providing processed food, but also ensure that it can provide fresh, healthy food
- Ensure that the pantry can remain open during winter break, spring break and summer break
- Host fundraiser to raise money for families who utilize the pantry