The 7th Grade Team at Sunnyvale Middle School coordinated the second annual Hunger Banquet on Friday, February 15, 2019. All students in 7th Grade participated in a hands-on simulation to raise awareness about global poverty and learn about how food is inequitably distributed around the world. At the event, each student picked a card that represents the character they played for the event. Characters were either low-, middle-, or high-income and were served food that was representative of their community.
A group of student emcees was in charge of facilitating the event. Leading up to the event, students in 7th Grade learned about different aspects of global poverty, world hunger, and nutrition in each of their classes. These lessons served as a helpful foundation for students as they move through the Hunger Banquet activities.
“We hope the students learned about how hunger not only affects people around the world but also right here in Sunnyvale,” said SMS teacher Lloyd Robinson. “We hope students learned that 1 in 6 SMS students potentially go home and do not have access to a substantial meal and that social class plays a huge role in a person’s access to food. We want students to be mindful about the food they waste and to start thinking of ways to save their food or donate whatever they don’t want to a person in need.”
Article submitted by SMS teacher Lauren Rodriguez.
See a student-made video about the experience below, created by student Chloe Park!
