Many students express stress and grief regarding the current state of the planet and their future. To address this pervasive anxiety, Dr. Valencia has concentrated on two key strategies within her course design: (1) shaping her food system courses around positive examples and narratives to illustrate that better futures are possible and how to get there; and (2) involving students in action through a “climate action” class assignment. In the former, Dr. Valencia structured her course “Lighthouse Farms for a Sustainable Future” to teach students theories for studying (food) systems change and offering tools to explore and catalyze sustainability transitions in the food system. She incorporated the concept of ‘lighthouses’ as extraordinary examples in the food system that show what a radically better future may look like. Additionally, in her "Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security" class, she designed an assignment that prompted students to take action against climate change. This assignment served as an opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge about the science supporting their chosen climate action while actively contributing to an effort with the potential to yield meaningful and tangible results in the fight against climate change. This assignment is an experimental venture for both Dr. Valencia as an instructor and for her students. She will share insights into what worked and areas for improvement, offering guidance to those interested in creating spaces for students to engage in environmental action and social activism within their courses.

Bio

Dr. Vivian Valencia holds the position of Research Chair in Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action at Bishop’s University. As a broadly trained agroecologist with a focus on food systems, she initially delved into biodiversity conservation in tropical agricultural systems. Her research trajectory evolved towards also investigating how public policies can support the diversification of farming systems. Feeling disheartened by studying the shortcomings of the food system, Dr. Valencia has shifted her focus to studying "lighthouses" – that is, extraordinary examples in food and farming systems that illuminate alternative and radically better futures. Currently, she and her enthusiastic students are exploring the Quebec food system in search of these 'lighthouses' to understand their role in catalyzing a transition towards a more sustainable food future.