51��������

Course Description

Summary

Building strong community support infrastructure is essential in the age of global pandemics, as it has been during past emergencies and natural disasters. Civic engaged actions and intentional social practices which are embedded in the locale have become more crucial when government agencies’ responses to the emergencies are slow or delayed. Can we revitalize or create new communal kitchens to provide healthy food – nutritious, medicinal, locally sourced and culturally relevant diet – and help secure integrity of the community? Developing from the theoretical framework of the course offered in the F20 semester, Make Kitchen Communal Again: Culinary Participation and Storytelling, in this practicum students will design experimental models for Community Supported “Kitchen” (CSK) and establish Soup “CSA” (SCSA) initiatives by surveying and evaluating local produce resources, food networks, existing community supported infrastructures and/or underutilized industrial kitchens. This course involves hands-on cooking, food sourcing and preparations, skillshare workshops, and research practicums, ideally in in-situ learning (at 51�������� and/or in partner with local organizations) if situations in the Spring term allow students to participate in collaborative activities safely and ethically, following the CDC, VT State mandate and protocols set by 51��������. Make Kitchen Communal Practicum is a place-based and action-oriented course and therefore it would be most beneficial for a student to engage with in-person learning. Visiting lectures and discussions will be conducted in zoom and/or using other online learning platform.