23. Urban Bounty: Peer Conversation Circle and Co-designing Community Engaged Research

Organization Information

Organization Name

Urban Bounty (Richmond Food Security Society)

Mission and Vision of Organization

Engaging and inspiring a resilient local food system through education, advocacy, and community-building initiatives.

Societal Vision: Healthy people, community and environment.

Guiding Principles + Values

Values: Authenticity, impactful, sustainable, collaborative, tree shakers

Priority 1: Grow an engaged food literate community

Priority 2: Nurture urban food production

Priority 3.1: Enrich organizational foundation (data, information, and technology)

Priority 3.2: Enhance board capacity through Board development and strategic recruitment

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Dena Kae Beno (she/her)
• Email: [[1]]
• Phone: 6047738240
• Address: 7611 Ash Street, Richmond, BC V6Y 2S2
• Website: urbanbounty.ca

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email
• Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• In person, Email, Google Meet, Zoom

Project Description

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

Building on the work that the Fall 2021 LFS350 students conducted to support the design and development of the Sustenance Project, a community-engaged cooking and food literacy skills program that is co-designed with individuals, who are experiencing or who have experienced food insecurity, we will focus on the following:

1) Conduct additional literature review related to food insecurity, dependency on emergency food programs, and health promotion, nutrition, and food justice.

2) Explore the gap in the literature review through best practice and community action-based research that will be overseen by Urban Bounty with local community agencies, individuals with lived experience, and other local organizations. 3) Be participant observers in the Peer Conversation Circle and Co-design process and support Urban Bounty staff with the facilitation sessions.

4) Apply specific learning focus to the project to increase insights that will inform communication and learning materials for the sustenance project.

The project will aim to build more depth in knowledge, resources, and practical implementation tools to further the development and sustainability of the Sustenance project.

Main Project Activities and Deliverables

• Literature review
• Best practice research
• Support community-based action research
• Create communication and education materials (e.g., infographics, video, posters, educational resources)

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• A desire to work directly with individuals and families, who may have experiences of poverty, food insecurity, and multiple barriers in their lives.
• A willingness to engage in community-based action research.
• A strong foundational understanding of how to conduct academic research and apply it to a specific focus area.
• Graphic and/or communication skills would be an asset.

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• Not at this time.

Will the project take place online, in person, or a combination?

• Depending on Covid, some online and some in person

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Support to the peer conversation circles.

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• Urban Bounty website and links

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• On-line orientation, additional readings, a self-reflection at the beginning of the project (1 page) and at the end of the project, and the Sustenance Project orientation to the work plan.