This course will provide an overview of nonprofit social enterprise and food justice through service-learning, with a focus on food systems, social ventures and economic policies. Key objectives include identifying management best practices for leading nonprofit food service organizations, including strategy, managing employees/volunteers, fundraising, grant proposal writing, board governance, and marketing and social media. Through lectures, class discussions, case study analysis, research, community service practicums, and a service learning final project working with a partner organization, students will explore the economic, social, and political issues of combating poverty and hunger in the United States. The focus of the course will be on nonprofit food service organizations designed to combat hunger in our communities such as food banks, soup kitchens and shelters, community outreach organizations, school feeding programs, and social change through advocacy. Contingent university travel guidelines in the fall, a field trip may be required.

Outcome 1
Identify some of the causes and consequences of hunger and food security in the United States, including methods of measuring availability and accessibility of food in communities.

Outcome 2
Identify critical means of providing healthy, nutritious and affordable meals for undeserved populations, such as children and the elderly.

Outcome 3
Compare emergency food programs, federal food and nutrition assistance and the community food security movement, and assess strengths and limitations of each.

Outcome 4
Gain comparative and holistic knowledge of today’s food systems (production, distribution, consumption, and waste) with an emphasis on food system system problems and possible solutions.

Outcome 5
Define and explain social entrepreneurship and social innovation.

Outcome 6
Outline key financial issues facing food service nonprofit organizations, including identifying various sources of fundraising for nonprofit food service organizations and identify key components of a compelling grant proposal.

Outcome 7
Outline methods for assessing nonprofit performance in the food service industry.

Outcome 8
Articulate connections between hunger, health and food service systems that are designed to combat these social issues.

Outcome 9
Describe key legal issues facing food service nonprofit organizations (such as food safety and sanitation guidelines).

Outcome 10
Explore and establish networking connections with nonprofit food service organizations through a service learning project.