Nutrition, Health, and Wellness at La Escuelita: A Community-Driven Effort Toward Food and Environmental Justice

Community Literacy Journal Jan 2021 OA PDF

Nutrition, Health, and Wellness at La Escuelita: A Community-Driven Effort Toward Food and Environmental Justice

Victor Del Hierro University of Florida ; Valente Francisco Saenz New Mexico State University ; Laura Gonzales University of Florida ; Lucía Durá The University of Texas at El Paso ; William Medina-Jerez

Abstract

This article introduces La Escuelita, an after-school health literacy program for youth and families that currently meets in a community center one mile from a port of entry into El Paso, Texas. Through weekly activities that include mediums like art, community-based mapping, and collaborative cooking, participants at La Escuelita interrogate notions of health, wellness, and nutrition and engage in discussions about food and environmental justice. Through their discussion of this community-based project, the authors argue that food and environmental justice efforts should center community- knowledge, asset-based frameworks, and reciprocal learning.

Journal: Community Literacy Journal
Published: 2021-01-12
DOI: 10.25148/clj.14.1.009054
Open Access: OA PDF Bronze
Topics: multilingual writers