Marvelous things happen when a faculty's passionate commitment to creating impact melds with the community spirit of an institution.
The Communal Lunch project is the brainchild of Jennifer Mitsche, a professor who teaches Research Methods in the Honours Bachelor of Food Studies program at George Brown Polytechnic. Her deep understanding of the benefits of proper nutrition on well-being inspired her to explore how we could leverage healthy food to promote student welfare and sense of belonging. This led her on a journey to champion the Communal Lunch project, securing funding from NSERC for research into innovative ways to change campus food culture. Her interest in the social function of food and its power to create healthy community has found a home at George Brown's St. James campus. Every Wednesday, the Student Success Hub space attracts 50-60 students and a number of faculty and staff. I had the pleasure of joining them recently. Check out the video below for the dynamic vibe at the Communal Lunch that takes place every week.
It was delightful to see students from the unique and innovative Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Culinary Management) and the Honours Bachelor of Food Studies programs volunteer their time to cook healthy food and serve students under the expert guidance of Chef Lucy Godoy, Professor and Program Coordinator in The Chef School. I had a chance to speak to Chef Godoy, as well as to students from both the Bachelor of Commerce (Culinary Management) and the Bachelor of Food Studies programs. I have included short clips of our conversations below.
