Cultivating Agents of Change Within Our Communities

Welcome to Pilot Light’s Library of Food Advocacy Projects! Use these projects as examples when working with your students to determine a food issue for them to study and confront. Confronting these issues in the classroom helps students learn first-hand how they can be agents of change in their own communities!

Students work together in their school garden to prepare and harvest produce to be sold to their school's community.

Students from Ray Elementary spoke at a press conference discussing their city ordinance on banning styrofoam in Chicago.

Students at Claremont Academy learn about food insecurity in their neighborhood and work together to prepare 500 "Love Lunches" for a local food shelter.

Food Issues

Bees and the Environment

Bees are so critical to our ecosystem and are the most efficient pollinators. Honeybees are the most common pollinators in the U.S. and are used to pollinate over 100 crops grown commercially in North America, including broccoli, squash, and apples. They contribute approximately $15 billion to U.S. crop production. Because they are so useful, bee…

Food Deserts

A food desert is a geographic area where residents’ access to affordable and nutritious food is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient travel distance. Urban food deserts often feature fast-food restaurants and convenience stores that primarily sell unhealthy food. While these food options are the most convenient for residents,…

Food Insecurity

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecure families often resort to cheap, low nutrient-dense food, resulting in a child’s increased risk for obesity or for nutrient deficiencies. Data shows that food-insecure children consume fewer calories and…

Food Swamps

A food swamp is a geographical area with a high-density of establishments selling high-calorie fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food options. A food swamp, when compared to a food desert, is not necessarily lacking healthy food options but rather has a high concentration of corner stores and fast-food establishments. Studies show food…

Food Waste

In the U.S. alone, food waste significantly contributes to environmental change. Americans throw away an unbelievable amount of their food. According to the United States Agricultural Department (USDA), over one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste, affecting other issues such as food security, resource conservation, and total U.S. methane emissions that…

Food’s Effect on Mood and Energy

Food can directly affect mood because of the connections between food and hormone production as well as the nutrients that food provides. The brain needs healthy food filled with nutrients to function properly. An unhealthy diet creates a dangerous loop – it is normal to desire high calorie, unhealthy foods when stressed or depressed, but…

Maintaining Community Gardens

A community garden is a piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people, utilizing either individual or shared plots on private or public land. The garden may be used to produce fruit, vegetables, and/or ornamental plants. The development of community gardens has resulted in the beautification and greening of many urban neighborhoods, addressing…

Nutrition Labels

Nutrition labels are essential for understanding the ingredients and nutrients in food products. Food & Wine Magazine explains that in a 2019 study, only 28% of Americans said they are confident in their ability to interpret a nutrition label. Confusion about labeling can lead to consumers buying products without realizing what th…

Plastic Pollution

Production of plastic has dramatically increased in the last 65 years from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons in 2015, and production is expected to double by 2050. There are different methods of disposal for plastics, but as a result of mismanagement and littering, around 8 million tons of discarded plastic end…

School Lunch

School meals play an important role in overall student health and academic achievement by fighting hunger and, therefore, contributing to student success in and out of the classroom. Research indicates that school meal programs even promote greater full-day attendance in school as parents will ensure their child is on time and in school for the…

Advocacy Project Template

Reducing Waste and Feeding Our Communities… With Worms

Food waste is a significant issue in the US and contributes to climate change. Food waste represents 22% of landfill waste and contributes at most 34% of all human-related methane emissions in the world. The goal of this project is to encourage students to discover how can we minimize excess food, redistribute edible leftovers to…

Ban Polystyrene (A.K.A Styrofoam)

Polystyrene (a.k.a styrofoam) is toxic to humans and the environment. Food in styrofoam containers can be contaminated from the chemicals, and this effect is made worse when people heat food up in the containers. The goal of this project is to encourage students to learn more about how styrofoam affects both humans and the environment. …

Farm II Table: Connecting Your Garden to Your School Community

Creating and maintaining a school and community garden is very challenging and expensive. Often it is difficult to manage who is responsible for taking care of the garden and getting the entire school community involved. The goal of this project is to spread awareness and improve your school’s engagement in your school …

Food + Mind: Creating Calm Kits

One’s diet directly affects one’s energy level and mood. The brain needs healthy food filled with nutrients to function properly. Consuming fatty, sugary foods only increases the likelihood of depression and anxiety. The goal of this project is to spread awareness of how food affects your energy and mood and what can be done to…

Love Lunches: Fighting Food Insecurity

6.5 million children in the United States live in households that are food insecure. Lacking the necessary foods for a healthy development, food-insecure children can experience increased hospitalizations, developmental risks, and behavior problems, including aggression, anxiety, depression. and attention deficit disorder. The goal of the Love Lunches project is to make students and parents aware…

Lead in Our H2O

Lead can enter drinking water when old pipes containing lead begins to corrode. Children are likely to be exposed to lead-contaminated water while living in older homes or old apartments with outdated pipes. Children are also often exposed to lead-contaminated water in schools. Exposure to lead can lead to permanent brain damage that could result…

I Can’t BEElieve It!

Bees are critical to the ecosystem. They are one of the most effective pollinators and contribute approximately $15 billion to U.S. crop production. The goal of this project is to increase the number of pollinators in the school garden as well as providing additional habitat and forage for native/ wild bees by creating Mason Bee…