Migrant Bilingual Summer School
In Summer 2017, Bridges students taught a 4 week summer school for 160 migrant / bilingual fourth through eighth grade students in Burlington Edison School District in partnership with Allen Elementary's 21st Century program. The focus of the curriculum was food sovereignty,
“Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.”
Summer 2017:
The Curriculum: Our goal was to offer migrant /multilingual students a place based, culturally relevant learning experience that put their lives and histories at the center. The focus was on sustainability / food sovereignty, from local to global contexts including the Via Campesina movement.
Why Food Sovereignty?
- Anchored in the lives of students / families
- Connects local to global
- Highlights leadership and knowledge held in communities
- Critical social justice issue
- Focus on agency and activism
- Rich context for teaching across curriculum
- Engaging content to embed academic language
- Possibilities for incorporating technology
- Vehicle for inquiry, teaching others