EN101 Freshman Composition Washburn University HICEP Class FOOD IN AMERICA

HICEP Definition:  High Impact Community Engagement Practices (HICEPs) are any student centered, interactive, experiential educational endeavors, either curricular or co-curricular, that are clearly community focused and action based. The purpose is to move from an observer of the conditions that exist in our society to intellectual awareness and informed action.

In the Fall of 2016, Washburn University will provide a different kind of Freshman Composition course. The focus on the class will still be developing one's writing for the college level, but the theme will be FOOD IN AMERICA! Dennis Etzel, Jr. will be facilitating the course.

August: Exploring the overall theme of food with personal writing.

September: Hunger in America: This topic will begin with Harvesters' Breakfast Challenge, then lead to volunteering in the warehouse and at a drop-off point.

October: Self-Sustainability: Urban Homesteaders of Topeka will visit our class as we examine how returning to whole, fresh, local foods can solve many of the issues America faces today. Fast-food restaurants, cheap food, and the quality of water will also be explored. We will also plan for and set in motion a community garden.

November: GMOs, Big Corporations, and the Farmer: We will examine what GMOs mean to us, farming problems due to business, and how a return to indigenous foods are a further resistance again post-colonialism. Other visitors are planned to speak.

December: Reflection and a Plan for Action for After the Course

http://www.washburn.edu/faculty-staff/ctel/high-impact-practices.html
https://www.harvesters.org/
http://www.topeka.org/planning/communitygardens.shtml

Update: February 26, 2016
I have made connections with Harvesters, UHOT, and Topeka Common Ground.

With Harvesters, there will be a Breakfast Challenge, a tour of the facility, a volunteer time for packing food, and a volunteer time for distributing food.

With Topeka Common Ground, we will cultivate more community gardens, especially around the area where Dillons has closed.

With Urban Homesteaders of Topeka, members will discuss how they do sustainability right here in Topeka.

With Washburn Garden and The Exchange: How students who are food insecure can find resources on campus with the concern of anonymity.