Learning Gardens and Civic Affairs

Capstone students in Learning Gardens and Civic Affairs either explore food culture and values and explore global issues in the food system. Instruction is designed so that students will be able to practice the skills needed to serve the Learning Gardens Laboratory, the community partner, and to participate in civic affairs, such as interpersonal communication, critical thinking, resource identification, organization, research, creativity, and collaboration.

The goals of this Capstone are to:

  • Analyze local community dynamics as they relate to food and community involvement;
  • Identify challenges and evaluate solutions related to the issues of community building, asset mapping, education, poverty, and community involvement;
  • Examine the potential for social change and the role of media in civic affairs;
  • Participate in respectful and thoughtful discussion of food systems, hunger, global climate change, the environment, food sustainability, education, and social stratification in class and at the partner site;
  • Practice skills such as interpersonal communication, critical thinking, resource identification, organization, research, creativity, and collaboration;
  • Develop understanding of and practice in a multicultural approach to building community;
  • Compare cultural values and practices surrounding food issues, democracy, and civic participation;
  • Lead and coordinate efforts to engage community members at Learning Gardens; and,
  • Discuss both practical and theoretical concerns and benefits of service work in creating social change.

Project

Learning Gardens

Students will either explore food culture, values, and global issues in the food system. Instruction is designed so that students will be able to practice the skills needed to serve the community partner and to participate in civic affairs, such as interpersonal communication, critical thinking, resource identification, organization, research, creativity, and collaboration. 

Students are required to work with Learning Gardens Laboratory in the following ways: Collaborative work in the garden as a class a few times during the term; independently scheduled service work for the garden (the number of hours varies by term depending on the final project); work in teams on final product, which typically involves event planning or capacity-building for the Learning Gardens Lab.

Students are graded on Roundtables, Reflection Journals, Meal Plan Project, a Final Product, an Advocacy Project and Participation. The purpose of a Roundtable is for students to bring information to each other for discussion and analysis. The Reflection Journal is a way for students to reflect on and deepen their understanding of course themes. The purpose of the Meal Plan Project is to connect course themes with personal choices and behaviors, while for the Advocacy Project students advocate for a food-related change. Each student contributes to the work of their committee and will be responsible for a portion of work on the final product. The final product varies for this course. In Fall 2008, students put together a harvest festival event at the Learning Gardens Laboratory.

http://www.pdx.edu/elp/learning-gardens-laboratory