Eating “eco” for the holidays

Visiting the SEE Team potluck

Cameron Shaw

Cameron Shaw and Rachel Magee

SEE Team, also known as School of Environmental Education, gives freshman students a chance to learn required academic material with an additional focus on environmental issues and environmental literacy.

Starting last year, SEE Team students participated in the potluck for the first time. This year, SEE Team held the second annual potluck.

“We want the students to think about what they’re eating, to know where it all comes from, what’s going in it, and to see healthier versions,” SEE Team Biology teacher, Jame Holt said. Teachers on SEE Team want their students to have a different perspective on the foods they consume and give them an opportunity to have a hands-on experience for a healthier lifestyle.

Former SEE Team student Elijah Ourth enjoyed the potluck experience last year. “It taught us to make healthier foods. I loved it, it was fun,” he said.  Ourth made a tropical fruit tower, using pineapples as the trunk and sculpting a koala bear out of bananas and other fruits.  The first year was a success. Students found healthy foods that were shared among their at the potluck.

SEE Team students were thrilled for the potluck this year. Kids made a variety of foods, from organic cookie dough cupcakes, to roasted potatoes.

“I like good food, and it really helps me understand what I’m learning,” freshman Molly Tracy, whose team made a trio of holiday desserts, said.

SEE Team students studied the foods they eat on an everyday basis. They took a deeper look at the nutrition facts, saw how badly some foods impact the environment, and found ways to minimize their ecological footprint.

Freshman Averie Robertson said, “We are learning how to make foods that are beneficial to the environment.” SEE Team students were not only excited for the good food, but excited to find new, and easy ways to save the environment, one step at a time.

The Potluck was held on Friday, December 12, 2014. The foods were delicious and environmentally friendly. SEE Team students had a blast, and the teachers can’t wait for next year’s potluck.