“There is no American food…The fact that we don’t have a cuisine is a measure of our democracy and of our ethnic heterogeneity.” –Sidney Mintz What is food? Food is more than just a way to nourish the body; it is a way to experience the world. According to anthropologist Sidney Mintz, there is no American cuisine. In nearly any town, it is easy … Continue reading Travel the World Without Leaving Your Kitchen!
As I wrote previously, the markets in France inspired me to change my buying habits. My interest in the topic spilled over into my history and geography classes as we discussed how modern transportation has transformed the ways Americans purchase food.
Like many of my students, I crave fresh and local fruits and vegetables. While we would like grapes, plums and cantaloupe in the dead of winter, in order to get there they must be flown in from South America. This practice is not environmentally friendly, nor does it support the efforts of the many small-scale farmers and business owners in the San Francisco Bay Area environs (or in your neck of the woods) who toil every day to bring us some of the most amazing products in the world.
Continue reading “Natalie Wojinski Part 2: From Strawberries to San Francisco”
In his recent ArcNews column, “Get Involved with Geo-Education Reform,” National Geographic Vice President for Education Danny Edelson stressed the need for those of us employed in professions that utilize geographic knowledge and skills to get the word out to friends, family, and others in our networks about what we DO and WHY it’s important. His call to action is duly noted. While I do … Continue reading Sarah Jane On Blogging
In his inaugural column in the spring edition of ESRI’s ArcNews publication, vice president for National Geographic Education Danny Edelson called on GIS professionals to lead the charge in an ambitious campaign for geographic education reform, specifying the goal of achieving 80% geo-literacy among 18-year-olds in the U.S. by 2020. In the second, summer installment of “Geo Learning,” Edelson provides further details on what he … Continue reading Get Involved with Geo-Education Reform
The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act came one important step closer to being signed into law this week! The Simon Act seeks to provide support for a significant increase in study abroad opportunities for students and to promote diversity not only within the programs but among them as well. Specifically, the Simon Act aims to diversify the destinations for international education around the … Continue reading The Simon Act has Success
