Small EL: Exploring Campus Food Insecurity
Students volunteer and learn about food access
Activity summary
This Small EL activity engages students in a field experience at the Campus Food Hub, where they volunteer alongside staff and community members by preparing meals, stocking shelves, and assembling food hampers. The activity helps students understand the realities of food insecurity on campus by connecting course concepts with direct community engagement. Through teamwork, discussion, and reflection, students examine local food systems, consider the impacts of food insecurity, and learn from those working on the front lines of food support. The experience fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and civic awareness while connecting academic learning to community issues.
Important details
- 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%
Learning outcomes
- Students develop an understanding of local food systems through direct experience.
- Students make connections between hands‑on learning and academic concepts.
- Students work together as a team on a food‑related topic.
Course description
A theoretical and experiential introduction to food cultures as processes and products of communication. Examines how food is constructed and represented through text, film, television, art, and tourism. Political and economic constructions of food culture, security, and sustainability will also be explored.
This is a course description from the UCalgary Academic Calendar.
Implementation insights
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.
Reflection component
- Format for reflection: In-class discussion
- Graded: No
Sample reflection prompt
"Students discuss what challenged them about volunteering with the Campus Food Hub."
Final thoughts
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Advice for those seeking to try this activity
Successful delivery of this experience requires careful coordination with the community partner well ahead of the scheduled visit. Students should be clearly briefed on the purpose of the activity, and explicit links should be made between the experience and course learning outcomes so its relevance is understood.
Seeking more information about this activity?
Please contact Dr. Lisa Stowe for with further questions and be sure to include a link to this webpage in your email.