2017 Iowa Hunger Directory 2017 Edition | Page 85

High Schools as Partners in Ending Hunger: Part Two April 11, 2014 2) Be a resource to students, while allowing them to take the lead where possible. • • At Sumner-Fredericksburg, a core group of FFA students had worked with their advisor on other projects in the past and felt ready to organize the school wide hunger banquet with little direct involvement from the advisor, who continued to provide advice when asked. While the poster presentation curriculum at Emmetsburg was developed by teachers, students have the opportunity to make their own decisions about the countries and challenges they research, the solutions they present, and how they design their posters. 3) Foster teamwork and solidarity and build incrementally on successes. • • FFA students at Sumner-Fredericksburg were interested in helping organize the hunger banquet but had to overcome the fear of failure. By visibly working as a team, the organizers reminded themselves that they would succeed or fail together. Focusing on the students who were positively impacted by the hunger banquet helped organizers to persist despite the realization that few of their peers were as passionate about hunger the student-organizers. The teacher at Emmetsburg has built incrementally on the poster curriculum over several years. This year, she reached out to the local newspaper to observe the poster presentations and inform the community about what the students did to learn about global food insecurity and make a difference locally. Next year, she hopes to partner with another school group or church group to add a student-run soup supper with a free will donation to the local food pantry. Please contact Ms. Tricia Reichert at [email protected] for more information about the initiative in Emmetsburg. Page | 84