Appalachian Journey Expedition, Food Storybank Project
Evergreen Community Charter School educates its students by providing hands-on, real-life experiences that engage and inspire them.
One example is this year’s middle school Appalachian Journey Expedition where eighth graders participated in a powerful cultural project called the Food Storybank.
The students explored the history of Appalachian culture through the process of collecting and recording oral histories from community members whose lives are connected to the Appalachian landscape. Students interviewed community experts to find out what connects people to the land through food. The eighth graders developed thought-provoking questions for their interviewees and videotaped each one. The interviews will be archived at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.
Another experiential aspect of the Food Storybank project included students growing and harvesting vegetables from Evergreen’s garden, making dishes from scratch using chickens that they slaughtered themselves, creating recipes and cooking them up. These meals were shared at a potluck held at an Appalachian Shindig celebration where the students showcased their interviews, participated in a contra dance and reflected on their Appalachian journey.
This is education Evergreen-style. You can’t learn that from books!
Visit Evergreen Community Charter School on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to learn more. Evergreen Gymnasium, 50 Bell Rd. Haw Creek, Asheville. For more information: Robin Elliott, 298-2173 ext. 229; www.evergreenccs.org
