Five Ways To Teach Global Competencies by Addressing Global Hunger

Hunger is a critical global issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite advancements in agriculture and food distribution, 44 million people in the United States alone faced hunger in 2022. By understanding and addressing hunger locally and globally, educators can empower students to take meaningful action and contribute to ending food insecurity.

Participate Learning’s “Blueprint for a Better World” highlights the importance of caring for the people, focusing on reducing poverty, ending hunger, and promoting good health through sustainable practices. Here are five ways you and your students can take action to address hunger in your community and around the world while building global competencies.

 

1. Connect with Local Experts to Address Hunger

One of the most powerful ways to understand hunger is to speak with those who confront it daily. Encourage your students to interview local experts who work to fight food insecurity, such as:

• Coordinators of food pantries or soup kitchens
• Community gardeners who grow and share food locally
• City or county administrators involved in food assistance programs
• Nutritionists and healthcare professionals addressing malnutrition

These conversations can provide real-world insights and help students see how they can make a difference in responsible, impactful ways. Through this activity, students will develop the global competency of intercultural understanding by engaging with diverse perspectives and understanding how local challenges connect to global issues.

2. Analyze How Hunger Is Portrayed in Media

Critical thinking is essential to understanding complex issues like addressing hunger. Have your students explore how hunger is represented in media. What kinds of stories or images are most common? Who is featured in these narratives, and who is left out? Encouraging students to ask these questions helps them develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the issue. Tools like Project Look Sharp’s Key Questions for Analyzing Media Messages can guide these critical reflections. 

By analyzing media representations, students sharpen their critical thinking skills and enhance their global awareness of how media shapes public perception of global challenges.

3. Expand Your Class’s Network

Social media is a dynamic space where advocates, educators, and healthcare workers share strategies and resources for addressing food insecurity. Encourage your students to explore conversations on addressing hunger through hashtags like:

• #ZeroHunger
• #EndHunger
• #HungerAwareness

By connecting with these networks, your class can find resources, inspiration, and potential collaborators working on the same goals. This activity fosters communication skills as students learn to navigate digital platforms and share ideas with a broader, global audience.

4. Encourage Students to Engage with Local Food Production

Food insecurity isn’t only about having enough to eat—it’s also about having access to nutritious food. Get your students involved in local food production by volunteering at a community garden or starting one at school. This hands-on experience will teach them about sustainable food sources and the importance of fresh produce in preventing malnutrition. You can also challenge your students to design a healthy meal plan on a budget for their family, using locally grown ingredients. 

Engaging with local food production allows students to exercise global competencies, such as flexibility and curiosity, as they explore how sustainable agriculture can address local and global hunger.

West Oxford Elementary School, a Global Leaders partner, tackled the issue of food insecurity by creating a community garden. Recognizing that many of their students and families had limited access to fresh produce, they developed this garden as a resource where anyone in the community could get free fresh fruits and vegetables. This initiative not only addressed local hunger but also provided a practical, hands-on learning experience for students, highlighting the impact of local action on global challenges.

5. Reduce Food Waste at School and in the Community

Reducing food waste is a powerful way to address hunger. Work with your school’s cafeteria to find ways to minimize food waste during lunch. You can also collaborate with local food banks or pantries to brainstorm creative solutions for redistributing leftover food from restaurants and grocery stores to people in need. Challenge students to raise awareness through social media campaigns or posters that educate their peers on the importance of reducing food waste.

Through this initiative, students can develop empathy as they consider how their actions can impact others, and they can also practice student agency by taking the initiative to solve a real-world problem.

For more information on how you can implement global education in your school, explore our Global Leaders framework and discover additional resources on fostering global competencies and preparing students for a successful future.

Originally published September 22, 2017.