RI Teens Collaborate to Help Charter School

At Segue Institute for Learning, the food is running out.

More precisely, the foodservice contract for this charter school expired at the end of June, and a non-renewable stop-gap contract will get them through one more year. After that, they’re on their own. That’s where the kids come in.

A team of students is setting out to study food systems in Rhode Island and design a food service for Segue that employs farm-to-fork logistics, emphasizes food sovereignty, and empowers students and families to make meaningful change in their community. It’s all part of Chez Innovation, a camp run by Moses Brown School and RIA Global Education that brings together diverse Rhode Island teens to learn about entrepreneurship and the food industry.

In this week-long overnight program, the students will learn about a broad range of food providers, processors, and distributors, and design a web of partnerships that will supply Segue with an all-Rhody food service.

Now in its fourth year, Chez Innovation invites Rhode Island high school students to apply by essay, and all accepted students attend free of charge, thanks to generous support by Davide Dukcevich of Daniele Foods and Diane and Jim Lynch.

At the end of the week, the students will unveil their design in a pitch session before Sue AnderBois, State Director of Food Strategy; Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Outreach and Communications Chair at Rhode Island Food Policy Council; and Angelo Garcia, Executive Director of Segue Institute for Learning.

The pitch session will take place at Moses Brown at 11 am on Saturday, July 21 and is open to the public.

For more, contact Adam Olenn, Moses Brown’s Director of Communications & Community Engagement. 401-831-7350 x112. aolenn@mosesbrown.org