All Topics 
Images courtesy of the Colorado State University Center for Science Communication and Jamie Folsom’s JTC319 class in the Spring of 2022.
March 02, 2023
Northern Colorado food justice kit for students, by students
Students at Colorado State University recognized that although the institution is the only university in the world to receive Platinum STARS rating for sustainability four years in a row, there is still so much to be done about making our little corner of the United States a more environmentally-just place.
During the academic year 2021-22, our university designated Food Justice as a theme through which many courses and activities could interact. The CSU Honors program and Center for Science Communication approached our Center for Environmental Justice with the idea that students could investigate all the aspects of Food Justice in Northern Colorado and thereby amplify and get involved with current food Justice efforts in Northern Colorado.
Ultimately, students wanted to engage their peers and the community with insightful storytelling that would motivate action! Several faculty offered projects for course credit to build content for what became the NoCo Food Justice Kit.
The President’s Sustainability Commission supported staff to build a web presence for the Kit. The Artwork and articles created by students can be found online through the Center for Environmental Justice website.
Sections of the NoCo Food Justice Kit include:
- Food Security
- Mutual Aid
- Sustainable Shopping
- Food Labor
- Food Justice Courses
- How to Get Involved in Food Justice
Events throughout the region have featured the kit, and students have sparked another version that will dive deeper into the structural aspects of our society that contribute to food justice (and injustice). Students are also pursuing a SoCo Food Justice Kit that will focus on Southern Colorado. We see this as a scalable idea that is both inspirational and impactful.
See samples of creative work in the kit:
- Kira Dickerson’s piece.
- Cole Genck’s piece.
- Grace Weintrob’s interview with grocery store workers.
See more artwork created for the kit here.
