The Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada commenced in Guelph on 6 May 2019 for four intensive days. The School then reconvened in Whitehorse and kicked off with a community engaged workshop event at Yukon College on 14 and 15 May. You can follow student accounts of their learning adventures over our two weeks together in the Yukon on their blog, on Instagram and on Twitter:

*Student Blog Link* – https://padlet.com/lsneyd/yukonfieldschool

Sophia Hou’s experience – https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/sophia-hou

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gidsyukon/

Twitter – @gidsyukon

The CBC and What’s Up Yukon also covered our learning adventures:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/students-main-course-yukon-1.5151429

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2283481728568459&id=707262649368682

https://whatsupyukon.com/Yukon-Food-Drink/farm-garden/food-security-in-the-north/

CBC North Features Yukon Field School Course

As is evident on those social pages and the media stories, the GIDS Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada enabled a truly incredible group of students to immerse themselves in experiential learning at its best. At the end of our time together, students presented me with the best thank you card I have received to date in my professional career:

This was the agenda for our two-day intensive workshop at Yukon College:

The Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada will enable students to apply perspectives on international development to food security issues in Canada’s North. In this field-based and experiential course, students will explore theoretical and conceptual knowledge during pre-departure classes at Guelph. They will then gain food security knowledge traveling around the Yukon over the course of two weeks. They will also interact with First Nations communities in the Yukon to learn more about foodways in the territory. Through an in-depth exploration of Yukon’s food system, the course will push students to consider the challenges and opportunities associated with applying concepts and theories that originate in international development studies to the Canadian context.

We will pay particular attention to the social, political, economic, and environmental forces that impact the structure and functioning of the territorial food system and food systems across the Arctic. In particular, we will explore ways of assessing the extent to which the food system advances principles of sustainability and the right to food in Canada. We will explore food and nutrition issues linked to hunting, wild food gathering, and fisheries, and delve into topics including food entrepreneurship and governance to better understand food security situations in the Yukon.

In the field, students will be immersed in stimulating activities and opportunities for reflection, challenging them to learn about issues impacting food security, Canada’s colonial history, First Nations communities, and environmental sustainability. The course format will consist of pre-departure classes at the University of Guelph before travel to the Yukon for the two week field school. In this course, we will also embark on outdoor adventures in scenic ‘larger than life’ Yukon!

The Yukon Field School is being offered by the Guelph Institute of Development Studies.  Preference will be given to students who are majoring in International Development Studies, but students from other disciplines are also welcome to apply.