WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? IDEOLOGY AND FOOD

Los Angeles is an epicenter for the study of the connection between people and the food they eat. This program provides students appropriate lenses to explore Plant-based Living and the learned norms around how we consume food. Rather than push a certain way of eating, this program is designed to help students make their own informed choices.

Learning Objectives

Appreciate the myriad challenges and perspectives related to food justice and food choice from a multiplicity of lenses.

Explore the health outcomes of plant-based lifestyles as well as the environmental outcomes of such ways of being.

Build an understanding of how animal and plant-based food is produced, processed, and consumed in the United States. How is it changing?

Lenses of Inquiry

Food Justice

How can we make informed choices about our diets that will not only benefit ourselves?

Environmental Impacts of Food Choice

How do our everyday groceries and meals impact the environment?

Food Production

What differences are there in the production of plant-based vs animal-based food?

Places and Activities

This program is flexible, and can be offered in 5 or 7 day itineraries.

DAYS 1-2: GETTING OUR BEARINGS

We arrive to Los Angeles and get settled, enjoying the hike up to Griffith Observatory which gives an expansive view of the city and important context. We spend a full day with Farm LA, looking into Food Justice and Urban farming.

DAYS 2-4: WE ARE ALL ANIMALS

We spend a day immersing with LA City Commission on animals to learn about land bridges and get to know animals at the Kindred Spirits Animal Sanctuary.

DAYS 5-6: FOOD JUSTICE AND CHOICE

We tour the Getty Center and explore its beautiful spaces, as well as meet with Genesis Butler, a youth activist and plant-based diet advocate. We also enjoy a vegan cooking class.

DAY 7: CLOSING THE LOOPS

We head to Santa Monica Pier to enjoy the sights and sounds of surf, and hold our program debrief before transferring to the airport.

Let’s work together

“I was incredibly impressed by the care taken by Envoys. Before we even hit the ground, there was an emphasis on comprehending impact on our destination’s environment that I appreciated..Throughout the trip, our Envoys leaders made sure that we continued to be conscious of impact. That awareness of cause and effect is something that often gets lost when traveling, and Envoys did not allow it to. During this trip, there was never a moment I did not feel safe and cared for nor a moment where I did not feel I was learning something!”

— Keylee S. , Student, Dalton South Africa 2014

“My goals were to learn about post-conflict Colombia and step out of my comfort zone. These were fulfilled each and every day through activities, reflections, and first-hand experience.”

— Julia D. , Student, GEBG Colombia 2016

“With its emphasis on empathy and general intelligence in planning, Envoys has quickly emerged as a premier global program provider. They are well worth the attention of any of our schools.”

— Paul Miller , Former Director of Global Initiatives, NAIS