As schools across the country work to continue meaningful student learning remotely, our partners have jumped into action to ensure that students have engaging, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences that will set them up for postsecondary success. Our partners at Nowell Leadership Academy in Rhode Island are leading the way, continuing a unit called Citizen Food that we supported them in adopting and adapting for their students earlier this year. 

During the first full week of April, teacher Rose Miner convened her students via Zoom to learn from an expert in the field. A core component of a Transformative Learning Experiences (TLEs) includes supporting students to present their work to authentic audiences. The school had been engaging in a Citizen Food unit, which explores topics such as food waste and the environment, food access and justice, and sustainable food systems. The Citizen Food project culminates with students creating a Mindful Meal. 

Nowell Leadership Academy students join a Zoom call to present their work to an expert in the field as part of their Mindful Meal project.

On the call, students shared their menus with a professional chef. The menus they created feature their Mindful Meal—a dish that they studied, researched, and prepared before school closures swept the country. Chef Steve Shipley joined Nowell Academy students from his home to speak about the many avenues in the food and hospitality sector and to answer the questions students had gathered throughout the project. After a career as an executive chef in establishments around the country, Chef Shipley joined Johnson and Wales, one of the foremost culinary learning institutions in the U.S, to bring his love of food to the next generation of professionals. 

Throughout the hour-long Zoom call, students were engaged and interacting over the Zoom’s chat function. Conversations in the chat ranged from logistical (e.g., who’s presenting next?) to content-driven (e.g., I feed my chickens carrot greens!). Students had a chance to learn from an expert from the field, a critical component of a Transformative Learning Experience, asking questions and presenting their work to him. This connected what students are doing and learning to an authentic audience with a wealth of knowledge, making the learning more relevant and connected to the real world. 

Before national school closures, Nowell Leadership Academy Students visit a hydroponic greenhouse as part of the Citizen Food unit.

A student named Tyelee kicked off the discussion, displaying her menu, which featured a salmon dish with asparagus. Concerned about food waste, Teylee asked Chef Shipley if it’s possible to eat every part of an asparagus plant. Chef Shipley talked about the different types of asparagus and how to use the tougher parts of the stalk in a pureed asparagus soup.

Another student, Milbia, asked if fresh vegetables should always be used, thinking about sourcing food and maximizing nutrition. Daniel picked vegan pizza for his menu and asked Chef Shipley about the difficulty of cooking vegan food. He responded with a story about welcoming two vegan guests from Asheville, North Carolina. Since the menu at Johnson and Wales, where they were meeting, had only had one vegan option, Chef Shipley worked with the chef of the day, a Johnson and Wales student, to prepare a tailored vegan menu on the spot. 

School design leaders meeting earlier this school year, including Nowell Leadership Academy design lead, Jessica Waters, second from left.

Another student, Destini, asked about how to make her selected dish of zucchini lasagne even healthier. Yisel selected a menu focused on omelets and asked Chef Shipley about pasture raised eggs. He talked about the ways in which bright yellow yolks in pasture raised eggs are based on what chickens are fed; he also gave some tips about figuring out if eggs are fresh. Finally, Jeffrey asked about the impact of air fried potatoes, wondering if that process affects the taste or nutrients. Chef Shipley gave a mini-lesson on potatoes, discussing the types, the starch content, and how to consistently maximize the nutritional value of vegetables (hint: baking is tops!) 

We are deeply encouraged by all the school leaders, teachers, and students who are navigating this new reality with grace, patience, and tenacity. We are honored to work alongside partners as they ask salient questions, maintain flexibility, and retain the essential aspects of rigorous and relevant teaching and learning that have always been a core focus. How has your school or learning approach either retained or created space for rigorous and relevant learning experiences as learning goes virtual?

Before national school closures, Nowell Leadership Academy Students cook a vegan meal together as part of the Citizen Food unit.