Declan’s spent the last 12 years living and studying in France. While his days were filled with studying, playing hockey, and skiing, he hadn’t delved into the question of food justice and the right for all people to have equal access to affordable and healthy food. Now, at The Winchendon School’s iLAB program, he’s spent the past five weeks with his classmates thinking of answers to the question, “What is food justice?”
“We started with a list of possible people to research,” explained Declan. “My group chose to learn about black farmers here in the United States.”
Using the Black Farmer Fund website, Declan’s group divided the work by some students researching the history of black farmers, while others learned how the fund works today. From there, they wrote and illustrated a children’s storybook of a pig named Shrek and his farmer family.
At The Winchendon School, food justice has been an almost ten-year commitment. From the beginning, the School has worked with community partners including the Winchendon CAC, assisting with community dinners, working in and donating to the food pantry, and providing in season fresh vegetables from the School’s community garden.
Declan’s experience, and the experience of his classmates, has given them a better understanding of the struggles some people experience putting unprocessed, healthy, and tasty food on their table. But our willingness to help reinforces Declan’s observation that “everyone here at the Winchendon School are just so friendly!”
The Winchendon School’s 10th Grade Class Definition of Food Justice
The right for all people to have equal access to affordable, tasty, and healthy food.
