Course:LFS350/Projects/2015T2/herbgarden

From UBC Wiki

Project Summary

Gordon Neighbourhood House is looking for additional locations to establish new herb gardens in the West End community. We’d love some help and fresh eyes to help us figure out how to do this, and get it started. Students taking part in this project will scope out potential sites and prepare a list of locations and respective property owners/contact information. Based on this information, they will develop a plan/strategy to establish the new herb gardens. Students also have the opportunity to put their heads together with our outreach team. This project is especially relevant for students in the Global Resource Systems program or those majoring in food and the environment, food nutrition and health, or applied plant and soil sciences and/or who want to learn more about asset mapping, community gardens, and building community capacity.

Organization Information

Name

Gordon Neighbourhood House

Mission

Mandate
Gordon Neighbourhood House strives to ensure that the West End of Vancouver is a vibrant and active community, where everyone is empowered to play an active role in civil society. http://gordonhouse.org/
Vision
As a place-based community organization, we work alongside our community, sister organizations, local businesses and policy-makers to animate and support dynamic programs, services and initiatives that respond to the needs and dreams of the community.

Primary Contact

  • Name: Stephanie Shulhan, Community Programmer
  • Email: stephanie@gordonhouse.org
  • Address: 1019 Broughton Street
  • Phone: 604 683 2554 ext. 205
  • Website: http://gordonhouse.org
  • Best time(s) method(s) to contact: Email or phone between 10am and 5pm on weekdays

Project Description

Gordon Neighbourhood House offers a wide variety of programs (many of which are related to food). Our volunteers and staff work on several herb gardens, and our goal is to find additional locations to establish new herb gardens in the West End community. We’d love some help and fresh eyes to help us figure out how to do this, and get it started. The students taking part in this project may also have the opportunity to put their heads together with our outreach team (to reach out to local property owners about the possibility of partnership). This will be one source of learning/training.

Goal(s) and project scope: The outcome would be a plan/strategy to establish the new herb gardens. Students could scope out potential sites and prepare a list of locations and respective property owners/contact information, and ideally also perform some outreach tasks. It supports Gordon Neighbourhood House’s goals and objectives as a Good Food Organization, and is in line with its Food Philosophy. One of our ongoing goals is to highlight resources in the West End / downtown community.

This project is a continuation of work completed by a group of LFS 350 students in 2014: Gordon Neighbourhood House Herb Garden Case Study

Skills Preferred

  • Interest/ passion for food-related issues and resources in a community context
  • Research skills
  • Outgoing and willing to perform outreach tasks
  • Reliability and willingness to perform work in the West End as well as remotely
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a team that includes GNH staff, volunteers, and other team members.


Project Location

Project meeting(s) will take place at Gordon Neighbourhood House. Public transportation is available. Accessibility details of the building are here: http://gordonhouse.org/about-gordon-neighbourhood-house/accessibility-details/
Please note: Computers for student use may not be available. If possible, students will be asked to bring their own laptops if they need the use of a laptop or computer when working or meeting at GNH. Students can contact Stephanie if they do not have access to their own computer and something will be arranged for them.

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

Project will take place will be between the hours of 9am and 5pm and will depend on existing room bookings and the availability of spaces for meetings, as well as the students’ schedules. We anticipate that some of the work in preparation/research can be done remotely and according to the students’ schedule.
Project/partner orientation
Getting familiar with our Food Philosophy and our food programs (which can be mostly found on our website, blog, facebook page) could be a first step before students even come to visit (for a general orientation to the House and introduction to the staff). The Resource Guide as it currently stands, and attendance of food team meeting(s) and/or outreach team meeting(s) will serve as orientations to the specific project.

Expected Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Students will learn about...

  • community engagement and connections (particularly around food-related resources/capacity)
  • the value of partnerships and community connections when it comes to increasing neighbourhood food security and capacity.
  • food related resources/initiatives in the West End of Vancouver (and perhaps beyond) and opportunities for connecting them.

Organizational Outcomes

GNH will gain...

  • fresh eyes and a unique perspective on partnership opportunities and herb garden expansion opportunities in the West End / downtown
  • progress towards getting new herb gardens established.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.ubc.ca/index.php?title=Course:LFS350/Projects/2015T2/herbgarden&oldid=388429"