Urban Agriculture Education and Youth Civic Engagement in the U.S.: A Scoping Review

Urban agriculture education is increasingly used to foster civic engagement among youth. To better understand empirical research on this topic, we analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles that focus on civic engagement among high-school-age students in urban agriculture education programs in the U.S. Using a scoping review approach, we identified 10 relevant research articles published between 2004 and 2018. These articles show that urban agriculture education programs prepare youth for future civic engagement, including by enhancing their understanding of social justice and community assets, and by building their leadership skills. In addition to promoting skills for future civic engagement, these programs engage youth in current civic actions in their neighborhoods, such as creating community gardens and donating food. Although the long-term effect of these programs on youth is still unclear, analyzed articles offer convincing evidence that urban agriculture education programs can be instrumental in helping youth become involved in addressing social and environmental issues in their communities.

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Gardening as More than Urban Agriculture: Perspectives from Smaller Midwestern Cities on Urban Gardening Policies and Practices

Case Studies in the Environment ◽

10.1525/cse.2018.001545 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Christopher Strunk ◽

Ursula Lang

Keyword(s):

Urban Agriculture ◽

Green Space ◽

Private Property ◽

Community Gardens ◽

Public Land ◽

Vacant Lots ◽

Urban Gardening ◽

Privately Owned ◽

Policies And Practices

For the most part, research and policymaking on urban gardening have focused on community gardens, whether in parks, vacant lots, or other public land. This emphasis, while important for many Midwestern cities, can obscure the significance of privately owned land such as front yard and back yard and their crucial connections with gardening on public land. In this case study, we examine how policies and practices related to gardening and the management of green space in two Midwestern cities exceed narrow visions of urban agriculture. The article explores the cultivation of vacant lot gardens and private yards as two modes of property in similar Midwestern contexts and argues that the management of green space is about more than urban agriculture. Instead, we show how urban gardening occurs across public/private property distinctions and involves a broader set of actors than those typically included in sustainability policies. Gardening also provides a key set of connections through which neighbors understand and practice sustainability in Midwestern cities.

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Together, We Can Make This Place Our Home: Civic Engagement Among Asian Immigrants

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.327 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 99-99

Author(s):

Cindy Bui ◽

Kyungmin Kim ◽

Qian Song ◽

Yuri Jang

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Civic Engagement ◽

Asian American ◽

American Culture ◽

City Council ◽

Asian Immigrants ◽

The City ◽

The U.S ◽

Acculturation Factors

Abstract Civic engagement is an important dimension of age-friendly communities but has been understudied among Asian immigrant groups. While research has attributed greater civic engagement among immigrants to acculturation factors, the influence of acculturation may be conditioned upon Asian immigrants’ social network and place attachment to their city. We used data from the Asian American Quality of Life survey to analyze civic engagement activity (e.g., City council meeting, voting in a City election) among a diverse sample of middle-aged and older Asian immigrants in Austin, Texas (N = 994). 34.5% of the sample had participated in at least one civic engagement activity in the past 12 months. We examined how such civic engagement is associated with acculturation factors, and further examined whether one’s friend network and perception of their city moderated the association. We found that number of years lived in the U.S., familiarity with mainstream American culture, and number of friends in one’s social network were positively related to civic engagement activity. Furthermore, we found that the association between years lived in the U.S. and civic engagement was more pronounced for immigrants with larger friend networks; the association between familiarity with American culture and civic engagement was more pronounced for immigrants with more positive perceptions of the city. These findings highlight that acculturation may not operate alone in civic engagement among Asian immigrants. Rather, it may also be important to create opportunities for Asian immigrants to feel connected to their community and build meaningful friend networks to encourage civic engagement.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Urban Agriculture in São Paulo, Brazil

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116185 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6185

Author(s):

André Ruoppolo Biazoti ◽

Angélica Campos Nakamura ◽

Gustavo Nagib ◽

Vitória Oliveira Pereira de Souza Leão ◽

Giulia Giacchè ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Agriculture ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

Community Gardens ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Food Chains ◽

São Paulo ◽

Sales Channels ◽

Paulo State ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers worldwide were greatly affected by disruptions in the food chain. In 2020, São Paulo city experienced most of the effects of the pandemic in Brazil, with 15,587 deaths through December 2020. Here, we describe the impacts of COVID-19 on urban agriculture (UA) in São Paulo from April to August 2020. We analyzed two governmental surveys of 2100 farmers from São Paulo state and 148 from São Paulo city and two qualitative surveys of volunteers from ten community gardens and seven urban farmers. Our data showed that 50% of the farmers were impacted by the pandemic with drops in sales, especially those that depended on intermediaries. Some farmers in the city adapted to novel sales channels, but 22% claimed that obtaining inputs became difficult. No municipal support was provided to UA in São Paulo, and pre-existing issues were exacerbated. Work on community gardens decreased, but no garden permanently closed. Post COVID-19, UA will have the challenge of maintaining local food chains established during the pandemic. Due to the increase in the price of inputs and the lack of technical assistance, governmental efforts should be implemented to support UA.

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Program Quality Components related to Youth Civic Engagement

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106022 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106022

Author(s):

Jaime Ballard ◽

Lynne Borden ◽

Daniel Francis Perkins

Keyword(s):

Civic Engagement ◽

Program Quality ◽

Youth Civic Engagement

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Nutrition across the curriculum: a scoping review exploring the integration of nutrition education within primary schools

Nutrition Research Reviews ◽

10.1017/s0954422421000111 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-44

Author(s):

Berit M. Follong ◽

Angeliek Verdonschot ◽

Elena Prieto-Rodriguez ◽

Andrew Miller ◽

Clare E. Collins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Intervention Effectiveness ◽

Education Programs ◽

School Based

Abstract Primary schools contribute to promoting healthy eating behaviour and preventing overweight and obesity by providing nutrition education. Research highlights the importance of improving teachers’ program implementation to enhance intervention effectiveness. An integrative approach has been suggested to reduce time barriers that teachers currently experience in teaching nutrition. This scoping review explores use and effectiveness of integrative teaching in primary school-based nutrition education programs. Six databases were searched for primary school-based interventions on nutrition education. Papers reporting on integration of nutrition topics within core curriculum were included. Abstracts and full texts of potentially relevant articles were screened to determine eligibility. Next, data were extracted and tabulated. Findings were collated and summarised to describe intervention characteristics, subject integration and effectiveness of the included programs. Data describing integration of nutrition into the primary school curriculum were extracted from 39 eligible papers. Nutrition education programs often involve lessons about food groups and are frequently embedded within the mathematics, science or literacy syllabus. Although articles report on the integration of nutrition, the use of this approach was not commonly described in detail. Only seven papers discussed student outcomes related to the integration of nutrition education within core subjects. The ability to draw strong conclusions about school-based nutrition intervention effectiveness is limited by the current lack of program description and methodological issues. Hence, more research is warranted to inform evidence on effectiveness of integrative nutrition education for both teacher and student outcomes. Future studies that include greater detail regarding the integrative approach are needed.

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Reply to “Comment on ‘Which Earthquake Accounts Matter?’ by Susan E. Hough and Stacey S. Martin” by David J. Wald

Seismological Research Letters ◽

10.1785/0220210142 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Susan E. Hough ◽

Stacey S. Martin

Keyword(s):

Scientific Community ◽

YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT – RESOURCE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

10.21125/iceri.2021.2365 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pāvels Jurs ◽

Alīda Samuseviča ◽

Inta Kulberga ◽

Maija Ročāne

Keyword(s):

Civic Engagement ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Youth Civic Engagement

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A Scoping Review of Human Trafficking Screening and Response

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/15248380211057273 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152483802110572

Author(s):

Rebecca J. Macy ◽

L. B. Klein ◽

Corey A. Shuck ◽

Cynthia Fraga Rizo ◽

Tonya B. Van Deinse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Trafficking ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Service Providers ◽

Work Conditions ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Specific Response ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

The U.S

Service providers are increasingly asked to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking and to connect them with resources and support. Nonetheless, identification is complicated by the reality that those who are experiencing trafficking may rarely self-identify, and providers may fail to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking due to lack of guidance on how to screen for trafficking capably and sensitively. With the aim of guiding practice, we undertook a scoping review to search for and synthesize trafficking screening tools and response protocols. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), we located 22 screening tools contained in 26 sources. We included any documents that described or tested human trafficking screening tools, screening or identification protocols, response protocols, or guidelines that were published in any year. All documents were abstracted using a standardized form. Key findings showed that most tools were developed by practice-based and non-governmental organizations located in the U.S. and were administered in the U.S. Few screening tools have been rigorously evaluated. The common types of screening questions and prompts included (a) work conditions; (b) living conditions; (c) physical health; (d) travel, immigration, and movement; (e) appearance and presentation; (f) mental health, trauma, and substance abuse; (g) associations and possessions; and (h) arrests and prior involvement with law enforcement. We were not able to locate specific response protocols that provided step-by-step guidance. Nonetheless, the review revealed available practice-based and research-based evidence to help inform guidance concerning how screening and identification of human trafficking may be administered.

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