Year 7 Explorations: Feeding HK Food Drive

In 2015 the United Nations established a unified roadmap for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the core of it, and they represent an urgent call to action by all nations in a global partnership. At Island School, we recognise that we are part of this global partnership and our Explorations programme allows students to explore these big issues in depth. However, it is vital that we develop our students to become active global citizens and not only make them aware of these issues, but empower them with the necessary skills and competencies to tackle these issues and make a difference in society.

Our Year 7 students have spent this term focusing on the global issue of food insecurity. They not only explore the theory behind this but they engage in a variety of practical activities that engage them with this directly. The unit has for example explored the concept of food miles, where our food comes from and the importance of buying local produce. Students have then gone on to cook and create a dish using only locally grown ingredients. We have explored the issue of food waste here in Hong Kong and then taken what we perceive as food waste, in this instance carrot peelings and then created carrot cake from it. Learning in this manner has allowed students to engage with what can sometimes be abstract issues and made them real in their lives.

The unit culminates in the year group running their own food drive in school to support the charity Feeding HK. This charity helps feed many disadvantaged people here in Hong Kong. They have been creating posters to promote this event, which will take place at Island School between the 8-19 January. In order to give a little more incentive we have also turned this into an inter-house competition, with the House that collects the most food by weight being deemed the winner. Food items that will be collected will focus on dry goods – rice, pasta, cooking oil and tinned food. Please do support our Year 7s and Feeding HK and drop any of these food items off at your House office between these dates.

Should you have any further questions, please do reach out to Mr Burrough (ross.burrough@online.island.edu.hk).