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EDST 498O: Food and Environmental Sustainability
July 4 – 21 (Tuesday to friday) | 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Format: In-person
Food and Environmental Sustainability is an introductory course in food and environmental sustainability education for educators and individuals who are passionate about environmental stewardship. Today’s youth are the future of society and will be responsible for moving humanity towards more ecologically and socially sustainable practices. At the same time, they will need to cope with the effects of a changing environment and climate. Because of this responsibility, climate anxiety is a phenomenon that is impacting the daily lives of young people around the world. Children often feel powerless and as if their voices aren’t heard regarding this global issue.
Equipping students with the knowledge and skills to actively take part in this issue, as well as creating an environment that supports action, can empower students to become actors of change in their schools and communities. In this course you will develop strategies for helping students engage in sustainability-related topics and explore how to create a classroom that facilitates translating knowledge into action. This course is designed to equip individuals with information and tools to empower their students/future students to become changemakers in their schools and communities.
Throughout this course you will engage in discussion, reflection, and activities about food and environmental sustainability as well as learn how to transfer this information into the classroom. You will leave the class with a list of resources and practical tools to engage your classroom in these topics. This class will involve classroom learning, guest speakers and trips to local farms.
Students will:
- explore the term “sustainability” and its various definitions
- understand the connection between food systems, the environment, and climate change
- explore how food and environmental sustainability fit within the BC curriculum and identify cross-curricular connections
- examine how power, privilege, and Western ideologies have influenced current systems and reflect on ways to challenge dominant narratives in your own classroom
- understand how to help students ask meaningful questions and challenge conventional ways of thinking
- articulate different forms of environmental pedagogy including ecofeminism, place-based education, and ecojustice pedagogy
- explore ways to foster connection between students and the environment
- describe different forms/shapes that advocacy/action in the classroom can take
- design a plan of action to engage students in sustainability-related topics and move from knowledge to action
- explain how to implement and support different types of civic engagement in the classroom
- reflect on your own practice and recognize ways you could bring sustainability education into your own classroom/practice
Gabrielle Edwards
Gabrielle (she/her) is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests revolve around whole school approaches to school food education, food literacy and food citizenship. Gabrielle has a background in agriculture and food security holding a B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and a M.A. in Human Development and Food Security from Roma Tre University in Italy. Gabrielle also has a background working in the non-profit sector through her work as a Program Coordinator with Agriculture in the Classroom – Saskatchewan and as a Volunteer Coordinator with Allan Brooks Nature Centre. She is also involved in food security advocacy work and has been volunteering with the Canadian Food Grains Bank since 2016. Gabrielle is passionate about about food and environmental education and empowering the next generation to be actors of change in their communities. In her free time Gabrielle likes to be outside cycling, hiking, camping, running and skiing as well as spending time with her partner (Mitch) and their cat (Desi).
How to register
To register for courses, please visit the Student Information Service Centre (SISC).
Register for Term two (July/August) courses via the Student Information Service Centre (SISC).
If you are looking to transfer a course into UBC Vancouver, or another institution, please confirm transfer credit will be approved prior to registering for a UBC Okanagan course.
*It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course is accepted towards the completion of a program.
Register for Term two (July/August) courses via the Student Information Service Centre (SISC). You must have current Summer registration eligibility. If not, please email sie.education@ubc.ca.
If you are looking to transfer a course into UBC Vancouver, or another institution, please confirm approval of transfer credit prior to registration.
*It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course is accepted towards the completion of a program.
Please contact sie.education@ubc.ca with your UBC student number and courses of interest.
To register for a course, you will first need to submit an online application via Education Planner BC portal.
- Sign up for your EducationPlannerBC Account and follow the instructions to complete your applicant profile.
- Select University of British Columbia as the institution you want to apply to
- Select the upcoming Winter Session: September – December
- Select “Access Studies”
- Under “Access Studies” section, indicate that your program of interest is the Okanagan School of Education’s Summer Institute in Education Summer Session May – August.
- Once all necessary fields are filled in, click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page.
- You will be prompted to review your EPBC application and pay an application fee.
Once you have paid the application fee, email nondegree.ok@ubc.ca if you want UBC to process it quicker. If not, it will take three to five business days for UBC to admit you.