The Problem
Each year, many residents in our community host high school age international exchange students from a variety of countries. The students are usually looking for ways to stay healthy during their time abroad. The problem is, the exchange students don’t know where to find healthy food that supports local, sustainable food systems, or even where to start. This is partly because the students don’t know the area very well, and even though their host families may show them the big supermarkets, the students may not be aware that our community has a local co-op that supports local producers. Moreover, through our volunteering with AFS-USA (a cultural exchange organization), we have noticed that many students adopt the “fast food culture” after they arrive for convenience and in order to fit in. In addition, we have found that many students also experience anxiety and stress when they first arrive because for most of them, this is their first time living away from their families. This project aims to integrate the international exchange students into the local and sustainable food scene in our community while also alleviating some of the anxiety and stress they initially experience.
