METROPOLITAN HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES POL ICY CENTER Teen Food Literacy Curriculum Facilitator’s Materials Micaela F. Lipman Megan Thompson Developed as a part of the Portland, Oregon, pilot Teen Food Program April 2018 ABOUT THE URBAN INSTITUTE The nonprofit Urban Institute is a leading research organization dedicated to developing evidence-based insights that improve people’s lives and strengthen communities. For 50 years, Urban has been the trusted source for rigorous analysis of complex social and economic issues; strategic advice to policymakers, philanthropists, and practitioners; and new, promising ideas that expand opportunities for all. Our work inspires effective decisions that advance fairness and enhance the well-being of people and places. Copyright © April 2018. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. Cover image by Priya Saxena. Contents Acknowledgments vi Introduction 1 How to Use This Guide 1 After the Program Is Completed 4 Notes 4 References 4 Session 1. Defining Our Space 5 Welcome and Check-In (10 Minutes) 5 Activity One: Story of Self (25 Minutes) 6 Activity Two: Food Justice Mural (20 Minutes) 8 Activity Three: Community Guidelines (10 Minutes) 9 Activity Four: Teen Iron Chef Snack Builder (45 Minutes) 9 Close Out (10 Minutes) 11 Session 2a. Food and Our Body Part One 13 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 13 Activity One: Snack Breakdown (10 Minutes) 13 Activity Two: What Is Hiding in your Soda? (35 Minutes) 14 Activity Three: Sugar in our Body (35 Minutes) 15 Activity Four: What Is Processed Food? (30 Minutes) 16 Close Out (5 Minutes) 17 Session 2b. Food and Our Body Part Two 18 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 18 Activity One: Blubber Burger (30 Minutes) 18 Activity Two: Fat in our Body (25 Minutes) 19 Activity Three: Practicing the 10 Percent Rule (55 Minutes) 20 Close Out (5 Minutes) 23 Session 3. What Is Food Insecurity? 24 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 24 Activity One: Lily Pads (25 Minutes) 24 Activity Two: What Does Hunger Look Like? (45 Minutes) 25 Activity Three: What Is Food Insecurity? (40 Minutes) 26 Close Out (5 Minutes) 28 Session 4. Our Food System 29 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 29 Activity One: Between the Lines (20 Minutes) 29 Activity Two: Video Clips and Teens in Other Communities (55 Minutes) 30 Activity Three: Causes and Consequences (35 Minutes) 31 Close Out (5 Minutes) 33 Session 5. Food Choice 34 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 34 Activity One: Healthier Choices (15 Minutes) 34 Activity Two: Food Deserts (35 Minutes) 34 Activity Three: Ideal Food Community (25 minutes) 36 Activity Four: Food Choice (35 Minutes) 37 Close Out (5 Minutes) 39 Action for Change Homework 40 Session 6. My Community, My Home 43 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 43 Activity One: Community Asset Mapping (70 Minutes) 43 Activity Two: Thank You Notes (40 Minutes) 45 Close Out (5 Minutes) 46 Session 7. Identities and Food 47 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 47 Activity One: Identifiers and Food (55 Minutes) 47 Activity Two: Food Scenarios—People’s Assumptions (55 Minutes) 48 Close Out (5 Minutes) 50 Session 8. Our Food Justice 51 Welcome and Check-In: (5 Minutes) 51 Activity One: Stereotyping Exercise (25 Minutes) 51 Activity Two: Paths that Shape Inequality and Limit People Power (45 Minutes) 52 Activity Three: Finding Our ROLE in Local Food Justice (40 Minutes) 53 Close Out (5 Minutes) 53 Session 9. Tying It All Together 55 Welcome and Check-In: (5 Minutes) 55 Activity One: We’re All Connected String Exercise (15 Minutes) 55 Activity Two: Life Cycle of Food (20 Minutes) 56 Activity Three: Problems with Our Food System (20 Minutes) 57 Activity Four: Solutions Within Our Food System (35 Minutes) 58 Activity Five Potluck (30 Minutes) 59 Close Out (10 Minutes) 60 Session 10. Action Campaign Goals 61 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 61 Activity One: Goal and Objective Setting (15 Minutes) 62 Activity Two: Who Is In Our Corner? (20 Minutes) 63 Activity Three: Timeline Creation (30 Minutes) 63 Activity Four: Mapping the action timeline (30 Minutes) 65 Activity Five: Next Steps (15 Minutes) 66 Close Out (5 Minutes) 66 Session 11. Organizing Our Action Campaign Project 68 Welcome and Check-In: (5 Minutes) 68 Activity One: Break-Out Session Planning (30 Minutes) 68 Activity Two: Internal Capacity (50 Minutes) 70 Activity Three: Bringing it Back in (30 Minutes) 71 Close Out (5 Minutes) 71 Session 12. What Do We Need to Move Forward? 73 Welcome and Check-In (5 Minutes) 73 Activity One: Self-reflection (20 Minutes) 73 Activity Two: Group Reflection (20 Minutes) 74 Activity Three: Looking Forward (25 Minutes) 74 Close Out (5 Minutes) 75 Graduation Celebration (45 Minutes) 75 About the Authors 76 Statement of Independence 77 Acknowledgments This course development was funded by Feeding America, with funds from ConAgra Foods Foundation. We are grateful to them and to all our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission. The views expressed are those of its authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Funders do not determine research findings or the insights and recommendations of Urban experts. Further information on the Urban Institute’s funding principles is available at urban.org/fundingprinciples. This course is a product of a collaborative effort with Feeding America, the Home Forward housing authority, Food Works, and the Oregon Food Bank. Special thanks to Monica Hake, Emily Engelhard, Shana Alford, and Michael Kato at Feeding America, Assefash Melles, Alescia Blakely, Rachel Langford, and Megan Ashlock, at Home Forward. Special thanks also go to Mikael Brust and Leslie Heimer at Food Works, and Kate Benedict, Melody Martinez, and Kathy Egan of the Oregon Food Bank. Their time and effort on the Youth Community Advisory Board (also known as YCAB) effort that led to the development of this course was invaluable. Kristin Blagg made valuable suggestions on curriculum revision. Elizabeth Forney contributed careful and thorough copyedits. Amanda Kritt suggested engaging and hands-on activities. Priya Saxena and David Blount provided excellent research and project management support for Youth Community Advisory Board and worked hard to be true to the teens’ vision and voice. We are also grateful for the leadership and guidance of Martha Galvez, Elaine Waxman, and Sue Popkin during the development and implementation of the course. Lastly, we are grateful to all the teens who shared their stories and contributed their time and energy to the work. It is our privilege to try to help give a voice to their keen insights and passion for change. We have done our best to revise the curriculum after receiving feedback during the pilot phase, but any omissions or errors are solely the responsibility of the authors. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS VI Introduction This document provides detailed discussion guides and instructions for facilitating a 13-session course intended to teach leadership skills to teens through the lens of food literacy1 and advocacy. The goal of the Teen Food Literacy Program (TFLP) and curriculum is to help develop teen mentors and leaders that are equipped to support their peers around issues related to food equity and security. This course asks teens to grapple with concepts of identity and intersectionality, food justice, and food literacy by engaging in empowerment activities that can guide them in their personal and group goals. The course was developed as part of the Portland, Oregon, pilot Teen Food Program, which engaged teens, service providers, and researchers to design and then pilot a program to improve young people’s access to food. The Urban Institute report Exploring Teen Food Insecurity in Portland, Oregon: Designing a Pilot Teen Food Program (Galvez et al. 2017) describes the Portland effort and how the TFLP curriculum was developed and tested with a group of 11 teens in 2016. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Facilitators and Facilitation This guide is intended for adult facilitators who will lead discussion sessions with small cohorts of teens (roughly 8 to 15). The course could be embedded in a variety of organizations. Some examples include food banks, public housing services and school programming. Adult facilitators need not be embedded in any specific organization as long as they have the necessary skills and local connections. Facilitation does not require a background in teaching, but it does require someone who has experience with (1) low-income teens and leadership development; (2) food system, food justice,2 or food security issues; and (3) local-level nonprofits, community organizations, schools, government entities, and the like that work with teens or food issues. The facilitator is essential to establishing a safe and inclusive space, and it is important for them to be an active listener adept at managing group dynamics and able to relate well to teens. In addition to financial compensation for the adult facilitator, there are some additional costs associated with this curriculum. Make sure that there is a budget for the materials noted at the beginning of each session, including paper, markers, and other supplies. During the pilot program in Portland, we also provided teens with $20 stipends and a meal for each session they attended. Before the course begins, it is important for facilitators to read through the entire curriculum and get an understanding of the big picture goals and how they relate to individual session objectives, as well as what materials will be needed for each session. Before each session, the facilitator should revise the curriculum TEEN FOOD LITERACY C URRICULUM 1 based on some of the recommendations below in both the Course and Session Structure and Modifications for Each Community sections.