This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
LEWES, Del. - A story about a child facing hunger became the starting point for a lesson beyond the classroom for students in the Cape Accelerated Program. After reading the novel And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps, students began exploring food insecurity in their own community.
Teacher Karsnitz said students followed the story of 11-year-old Joe Oak, a character experiencing poverty, food insecurity and life without a stable adult.
“The kids just really empathized so much with it,” Karsnitz said.
That empathy turned into action through the students’ “Hungry for Change” project.
The lesson helped students discover that even the biggest problems can start with a single idea and a willingness to speak up.
For the project, students researched local food insecurity, examined community needs and developed ideas they believed could make a difference. One child said it is important to make sure other children have access to food so they can keep learning.
Karsnitz said the project encouraged students to think about solutions that could be tailored to the needs of their community, including food pantries or food delivery programs.
“Really being able to tailor to those needs of their community, whether it be a food pantry or a food delivery kind of thing, I do think it would be a wonderful way to give students that agency to make an impact in their community,” Karsnitz said.
But the project was about more than research.
As students developed their ideas, they also learned how to present them, building confidence and learning how to communicate with community leaders.
One child noted that 1 in 6 children are food insecure, meaning many students in a school could possibly be facing hunger. Karsnitz said she wants to teach students the skills needed to get adults’ attention, including through presentations and public speaking.
The project is part of the Cape Accelerated Program’s focus on project-based learning, using real-world issues to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
While the students did not set out to solve food insecurity, they learned how to identify a community challenge, research it, develop possible solutions and share their ideas.
One child said the project made them feel proud of what they accomplished and helped turn their ideas into action.
The lesson helped students discover that even the biggest problems can start with a single idea and a willingness to speak up.
