Small EL: Exploring Campus Food Insecurity

Students volunteer and learn about food access

Faculty

Faculty of Arts

Course title

COMS 477 (Food Culture)

Class size

Medium (30-75)

Year of program

3rd year course

Students visit the Campus Food Hub in small groups, volunteering in tasks such as cooking, stocking and preparing meal boxes. The instructor coordinates logistics, prepares students with course connections and facilitates reflection afterward. Direct interaction with staff and volunteers helps students understand food insecurity as a lived issue. The activity deepens empathy, community engagement and applied learning by linking course concepts to real campus challenges.

Activity Setting: Field Trip
Time for activity: 1-2 hours in class
Assessment Approach: Participation
Assessment Type: No formal assessment for this activity
Weight in Final Grade: 0%

Outcome 1

Students develop an understanding of local food systems through direct experience.

Outcome 2

Students make connections between hands‑on learning and academic concepts.

Outcome 3

Students work together as a team on a food‑related topic.

What worked well?

Leaving the classroom helped students understand course concepts in a new way, and even a simple visit to the Campus Food Hub broke the routine of classroom learning.

What challenges did you encounter?

The Campus Food Hub is a small space, so the instructor needed to split the class into two groups.

How might students redo/try out or apply these skills in future opportunities?

Many students planned to volunteer with the Campus Food Hub after learning about its work.

Format for reflection: In-class discussion
Graded: No

Sample reflection prompt

"Students discuss what challenged them about volunteering with the Campus Food Hub."

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.