To further USDA’s commitment to equitable food systems, National Farm to School Network (NFSN), in partnership with FNS, is implementing the Racial Equity Learning Lab (The Lab), a facilitated learning program for farm to school partners working to address historical racism in the American food system.
Project Goal
Increase understanding of racial equity in farm to school and build a shared understanding of racial inequities in the food system. This is a step to build a more just and equitable food system.
Activities
Discussions take cohort members on a guided journey into literature and other resources on the history of racial inequities in the food system. Mentors will support cohort members and members will support each other. The Lab uses processes like dynamic governance in group decision making and appreciative inquiry in analyzing critical issues related to farm to school program implementation and evaluation. The Lab will have two 13-member cohorts; the first cohort recently finished in February 2024, and the next begins in fall 2024.
Key Milestones
- February 2023 - June 2023: Convened Advisory Council to create The Lab roadmap and lesson planning materials.
- June 2023: Held first public webinar to introduce The Lab and begin recruitment and selection process for cohort 1 of The Lab.
- September 2023 - February 2024: Implemented the cohort 1 of The Lab, held six sessions, and included an in-person session in November 2023. Published a series of blogs to depict the learning journey of the cohort.
- March 2024 - May 2024: Held two micro-sessions to highlight key learnings from cohort 1 and promote racial equity in farm to school work.
- July 2024: Hold second public webinar to highlight the experiences from cohort 1 and being recruitment and selection process for cohort 2 of The Lab.
- Fall 2024: Begin cohort 2 of The Lab.