UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Sustainable Food Systems Network will host a Food Justice Summit from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, in Heritage Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center.
Designed to educate Penn State students and community members about food justice, the summit will focus on building community connections and advancing conversations related to food access and equity both on campus and in the State College area.
The action-oriented event will emphasize practical strategies for addressing food insecurity and inequities in local food systems. Programming will include a keynote address by Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, a panel discussion featuring student leaders, collaborative brainstorming with community stakeholders, and hands-on workshops.
The agenda includes:
- 4–4:10 p.m. — Welcome and introduction
- 4:10–4:20 p.m. — Keynote address by Fotis Sotiropoulos
- 4:40–5:10 p.m. — Student leader panel
- 5:10–5:50 p.m. — Community stakeholder brainstorming session
- 6–6:30 p.m. — Workshops and backpack packing activity
Taproot Kitchen, a local culinary venture that uses recovered and underutilized ingredients, will provide catering for the event.
“We want students, faculty and staff to walk away feeling supported and empowered, knowing that this issue is a priority that will continue to be addressed,” said Student Farm Club food justice project team lead Sylvie Alexander. “This summit offers an opportunity to find the pathways for engaging in this work.”
Event organizers aim to amplify student voices, increase awareness of campus and community partners working in food justice, and encourage participants to share perspectives and ideas that can inform future initiatives.
“The Food Justice Summit reflects Penn State’s land-grant commitment to addressing real-world challenges through scholarship, dialogue, and community engagement,” said Sotiropoulos. “By bringing students, faculty and partners together around issues of food access, equity and sustainability, this summit helps prepare our students to lead with empathy, knowledge and impact.”
For more information, visit the Student Farm’s website. Questions can be directed to studentfarm@psu.edu.
About the Sustainable Food Systems Network at Penn State
The Sustainable Food Systems Network includes the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm at Penn State, the Student Farm Club, the Food Recovery Network, the inter-college Food Systems Minor, and Course-Client Collaborations. The program aims to develop students' knowledge about sustainable food systems practices while providing hands-on learning opportunities and positively contributing to the community.
About Penn State Student Affairs
Penn State Student Affairs supports holistic student success through advocacy, education engagement and care. With more than 30 programs and units, Student Affairs helps students thrive in and out of the classroom, discover community and belonging, build leadership skills and create lasting memories. All programs and events are open to all students, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race or other protected class. Student Affairs is committed to building a community of belonging for all. Learn more at the Student Affairs website.