FRom Waste to Opportunity

Education can open doors to new opportunities, but many students face challenges that make learning difficult. One of these challenges is food insecurity. Food insecurity is a worldwide issue affecting millions of young people on the planet. When students do not have regular access to enough nutritious food, it can affect their concentration, energy levels, engagement, attendance, and overall performance in school. At the same time, large amounts of perfectly good food are wasted every day, even as many people struggle with hunger. Despite ongoing awareness of food insecurity and food waste as a public health issue, its impact on students is overlooked in policy discussions.

Our project aims to explore the connection between food waste, food insecurity, and education. Through qualitative and quantitative research (surveys, correlational data, and case studies), we will examine how hunger and food deprivation continues to affect students and explore why so much food continues to be wasted. We will also look at whether reducing food waste could help support people who lack access to adequate food.

Overall, our goal is to better understand the issues of food insecurity and food waste while raising awareness about their impact on students and communities. Based on our findings, we hope to suggest practical steps that schools, businesses, and local communities can take to reduce food waste and support those facing food insecurity. By exploring these connections, we aim to show that ensuring better access to food and addressing food waste can help students learn, grow, and reach their full potential. The deliverable is a website that allows schools to take their surplus of cafeteria food and turn it into take-home meals for students through a school-based food pantry and educational resources.