As a middle class white American living in an average-income neighborhood of Boston, I do not relate to the struggles faced by low-income families in urban food deserts. There is seldom a time when I am forced to choose a processed, unhealthy meal due to a lack of funds or vehicle, nor have I considered the academic advantage that my access to healthy foods provides. This project initiated a reflection on the privilege that my food security serves, and how I can go about making a positive change in food deserts just miles away from my home. I was able to come away with five conclusions:

1. “Food deserts” exist. Before researching this topic, my understanding was that low-income families consume unhealthy diets solely because they are unable to afford fresh, unprocessed foods. I simplified the term “food insecurity” by assuming that all low-income families have access to supermarkets and that they simply choose the unhealthy foods due to their low budget. Soon enough, I learned that in many cities, super markets can be miles away from low-income families and that inaccessibility to a vehicle or public transportation made this choice of fast-food meals a forced one.
2. Socioeconomic status and food access affect student achievement. Before honing in on the interaction between a student’s diet and his/her success in schools, I explored several different health contributors that may effect student achievement, such as physical activity and body mass. I found that more research is required to definitively determine their effects on success. However, food access, and subsequently diet, is health determinant that impacts student achievement. Furthermore, I clarified that low food access alone does not sway success, as wealthy families have the means to travel far and pay more to obtain healthy foods for their children. According to the study by Seth Frndak, the intertwining of low SES and food access can put such students at a significant disadvantage, lowering test scores across all subjects.
3. Urban farming is an effective solution to food insecurity in food deserts. After researching dozens of grassroots organizations with the mission of allocating healthy foods to low-income families in urban food deserts, it became clear just greatly urban farming can institute positive change. Yes, urban farms provide a much-needed supply of fresh fruits and vegetables that improved neighborhood diets. Even more powerful though, was the gardening and nutrition education that many urban farms provided. This education empowered individuals to create healthy options on their own and allowed these self-sustaining individuals to decide which foods were best for their bodies and minds.
4. School gardens kill two birds with one stone. Knowing the positive impact that gardening has on the diets of food desert communities, it was no surprise to hear that implementing school gardens would improve the health of students. However, what I did not expect to find such passionate practioner-oriented articles explaining an added benefit offered by hands-on learning. Case studies show that teachers who make school gardens their outdoor classroom see engage and excite students in a way that boosts their academic performance and appreciation for learning. The specific impact of “hands-in-the-dirt” learning was one of the most interesting things I learned with this project.
5. Grassroots organizations are effective because they are grassroots. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn not only what a grassroots organization is, but also why they are effective. At the start of my research, I was slow to understand that a grassroots organization is one that was organized by a community member; and once I came across my first few grassroots organizations, it immediately became clear that these organizations are effective because the organizer knows what the community wants and needs. I was most amazed by the organization “Plant It Forward Farms” in Houston. The organizers ability to address the increasing refugee population and the food scarcity within the city perfectly demonstrated the idea that there are numerous ways to improve food insecurity and injustice, and that each community should utilize a method that is best fit for its residents.

A common theme in this course was the role of teachers in urban schools and how important it is for teachers to get to know the community in which their students live in order to be effective educators. This project is a perfect illustration of this idea. Here’s why: say a teacher, like me, had never faced any struggle with food insecurity. Like me, he/she may not even understand that food deserts exist and what they mean to their students. How, then, would this teacher know that a student may have low test scores not because he/she is not completing her assignments, but because he/she has not consumed fruits or vegetables this month? This project suggests to me that teachers should investigate what kinds of grassroots organizations exist in their students’ communities and understand how these calls for change effect student performance in school.