Sustainable Communities Network is a  commnity-based  non-profit organization located in Lexington,Ky that endeavors to educate, inspire, build, create and empower sustainable cities

 
We welcome any amount of contributions to our on-going programs

      
Thanks for your donation!

We encourage you to read our

SCN Annual Report 2009

Back 2 Nature project Report

Sustainable Communities Network contributed articles, photographs and quotes for this book.

 

Join our garden network!


SCN For current Community Gardening events in Lexington, click any of the images below

 

 

Bluegrass Food Security Summit
 

"Growing Healthy Food, People and Communities"
Track #2 Local Food System: Youth Engagement and Leadership-Sustainability & Green Schools

We believe that youth have the passion, energy, and ability to reach out to their peers and elders on environmental issues, while acting as models for future generations. Young adults have the resources to network both within their own schools while interconnecting with regional schools and youth groups. This workshop will empower youth to be active and engaged in their schools, community groups and neighborhoods. 

Participants will be able to:

  • Discuss reasons why youth should care about the earth
  • Be introduced to ways their schools can step up and "green" their schools
  • Learn how to adopt leadership roles within their own school
  • Discover ways to interest peers in environmental advocacy work
  • Have an opportunity to ask their questions in a safe and open dialogue with other youth

Topics to be discussed will include but not limited to:

  • The role of youth in Kentucky’s food security
  • Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Initiative
  • Gardens in every school initiative
  • Summer youth work on farms
  • Agricultural and eco literacy in schools
  • Sustainability in the classroom, cafeteria and community;
  • Report of projects at regional schools
  • Programs youth are involved in related to food systems,
  • Sustainability initiatives at:  Eastside Technical, Dunbar High School, Sayre, Lexington Catholic, Youth GreenCorps, The Learning Center, Day Treatment Center, Drug Court, 4H, Henry Clay High School , "Green Clubs.", A green vision for Bryan Station High School 
  • How to link projects, youth network. Using web sources to educate, inform and  create.

Bluegrass Food Security Summit

8:00 Registration
8:30 Welcome and Introductions

GENERAL SESSION WITH ALL PARTICIPANTS

PART I: THE BIG PICTURE

8:40 Looking at Kentucky’s Food Security

  • What is a Secure and Sustainable Food System?

  • Kentucky Agriculture, What Are We Growing and Where Are We Going?

  • Macro Trends For Kentucky Food Security: Food Imports, Food Exports, Hunger, Economic “Leakages”

  • Discussion

9:40 Participant Mini-Visioning for Kentucky’s Food Security

Developing a Vision for Kentucky’s Food System – what would be visionary yet realistic goals for enhancing Kentucky’s food system security in the next 10 years?

10:00 Break

Break out in 4 tracks

1)Food Security, Regional Approach and Food Policy Council, 2)Food Security and Youth Engagement..3)Food Security and School Gardens…4)Food Security and Faith Community

Track #2 Local Food System: Youth Engagement and Leadership-Sustainability & Green Schools

10:15 Keynote: A Vision for a Green School

11:00 Sustainability: Healthy Food, Local Farms, Healthy Kids

  • Sustainability initiatives at:  Eastside Technical, Dunbar High School, Sayre, Lexington Catholic, Youth GreenCorps, The Learning Center, Day Treatment Center, Drug Court, 4H, Henry Clay High School , "Green Clubs.", A green vision for Bryan Station High School 
  • Discussion

12:00 Participant Mini-Discussions for Kentucky’s Food Policy

Developing ideas for policy needs in Kentucky - what are your ideas for ways to strengthen Kentucky’s food security, through the local or state or federal policy level?

12:30 Lunch

 PART III: INITIATIVES, LESSONS, MODELS AND INSPIRATION

1:15  continued...Sustainability: Healthy Food, Local Farms, Healthy Kids

Sustainability initiatives at:  Eastside Technical, Dunbar High School, Sayre, Lexington Catholic, Youth GreenCorps, The Learning Center, Day Treatment Center, Drug Court, 4H, Henry Clay High School , "Green Clubs.", A green vision for Bryan Station High School 

2:00 Strategies to Increase Environmental Engagement by Youth

2:35 Community-based Strategies for Youth Engagement

3:30 Break and Move to Small group discussions

3:45 Small Group discussions

  • How can we connect all of these different issues together, to create an integrated approach to Kentucky’s food security? Is an integrated approach even desirable?
  • What 1 or 2 actions (leverage points) might offer the greatest potential for increasing Kentucky’s food security with the least amount of effort?
  • What specific initiatives would you like to contribute to – community-based? State-based?
  • Are there initiatives underway that you would like to share or announce to the Summit?

4:40 Wrap up of Summit Small group sharing of results/top ideas Next steps

5:00 Adjourn

 

Purpose of the Workshop

 Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for youth in high school and junior high school to plan, organize, and strategize about a sustainable Future.

  Meals

Included in the cost of the registration are two—dinner on Thursday and lunch on Friday. The meals will also include as much locally produced food as possible. Feel free to bring your own bowl/plate and utensils for dinner/lunch.

 Sponsors Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools Initiative, UK Tracy Farmer Center, Sustainable Communities Network, Kentucky School Garden Network, Bluegrass School and Community Garden Network, Terrapin Hill Farms, Central KY Council for Peace and Justice, Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community

 Questions/Information:  call (859)312-7024 or email embryjim@gmail.com

Fees & Registration

The registration for youth is to pay whatver you can or you can request a full scholarship.

The registration fee for the Friday March 19 Gardening with Class:School Garden Workshop is $45. The Thursday March 18 Recognition Dinner fee is $20. But no one will be turned away for lack of funds. There are scholarship opportunities to cover the registration fee. You can apply by  completing the registration page and writing in “requesting a scholarship”.

Workshops Tracks click each track for details:

1)Food Security: Regional Approach and Food Policy Council,

2)Food Security: Youth Engagement; 

3)Food Security: School Gardens-" A Garden At Every School in Kentucky";

4 )Food Security:  Faith Community and Food

For Food Summit statement of purpose click here

For Food Summit agenda click here

*

Location

The Bluegrass Food Security Summit will take place in Lexington, Kentucky at the Crestwood Christian Church at 1182 Bellefonte Drive located off of Albany Rd,  between Tates Creek and Nicholasville Rds. , across the street from Glendover Elementary School