Pictured: Clohee Daniel-Fleury, a 10th grader in the Animal Sciences program at North Country Career Center, led the youth summit’s Dairy workshop.
by Emma Palumbo, GMFTS Intern
GMFTS Farm-to-School Program Manager, Elyse Perambo, co-leads the VT Farm to School & Early Childhood Network’s Education Value team. The team aims to foster awareness and leadership in the Farm to School movement. A critical role of the team is to support the annual VT FEAST (Food Education and Sustainable Thinking) Youth Summit. This is a youth-lead summit, engaging students in grades 9-12 throughout Vermont. This spring was the second year of the summit, which took place on May 22nd at Shelburne Farms. The day attracted attendance from around 80 students, representing over 10 high schools around the state.
The summit showcased a series of workshops centering around topics like food systems, sustainability, and climate action. It provided a space for impactful conversation among students and empowered them to establish their voices on important issues.
Throughout the planning process, a group of high schoolers and farm-to-school professionals teamed up to host workshops and plan the conference agenda. The day consisted of various conversations that allowed students to network with one another and learn more about food systems and each other’s programs.
GMFTS AmeriCorps Member, Ben Leskey, served as a liaison between the youth and adult planning teams, helping to lead youth planning meetings and provide supplies for workshops.
“I think it’s always important for youth to get experience outside the classroom,” noted Leskey. “From the planners and workshop leader perspective, I think youth get a ton of ‘behind the scenes’ exposure to what it takes to plan an event.”
The day attracted attendance from around 80 students, representing over 10 high schools around the state. It offered a unique opportunity to network and exchange ideas with students from other schools. From setting the agenda to planning lunch, students gained valuable experience in learning what it takes to coordinate an event, building skills in collaboration and networking.
The summit empowered students to take on a leadership role and share their knowledge of food systems. Farm-to-School Program Manager, Elyse Perambo, views the summit as a fundamental part in expanding the farm-to-school movement in Vermont.
“Student-led farm to school programs enrich schools by creating young adults who understand how their eating habits impact themselves, the society they live in, and the world beyond,” says Perambo. “The goal is to support youth in building stronger and robust Farm-to-School programs by giving them the opportunity to be inspired, be a leader, or learn advocacy skills.”
The VT FEAST Youth Summit not only fostered a greater understanding of food systems, but also equipped students with new ideas and professional skills, priming them to make meaningful contributions in their own communities and beyond.
