Mandela Academy Food Justice and Culinary Arts program

During the 2010-2011 school year, Planting Justice worked in collaboration with Pam Zimmerman at Mandela High School Law and Public Service Academy to empower 25 students to become leaders in the food justice movement. During this 2011-2012 school year, Planting Justice will be working in the afterschool program at Mandela High (on the Fremont Federation of High Schools campus). Our Food Justice and Culinary Arts curriculum will continue to provide students with hands-on opportunities in building and maintaining annual vegetable beds, planting and pruning fruiting trees and shrubs, maintaining different composting systems, cooking from the garden, developing a garden-to-market program, preserving traditional foods, recipes, and heirloom varieties, and exploring local, national, and international food issues. Building skills in critical thinking, community organizing, public speaking, ecological entrepreneurship, and permaculture design, these youths are changing the way they identify with the food they consume and strengthening their collective power to affect structural change.

Huge thanks to Planting Justice Educators, Marta Tesfamariam, Haleh Zandi, and Marcelo Felipe Garzo Montalvo, for the passion and skills they bring each week! And a big thank you to Planting Justice Permaculture Designers May Nguyen, Andrew Chahrour, and Gavin Raders for their knowledge and support throughout the year!

The 2010-2011 school year was funded in part by grants from Oaklandish and Alliance for Climate Education. The 2011-2012 school year is funded in part by grants from the Stewardship Council Catalyst Fund, the Alameda County Stop Waste Program, and the Altamont Education Advisory Board.

Check out more photos on Flickr!