12 hours of Professional Development 
5.5 hours Face to Face,4 hours pre-workshop, 2.5 hours post-workshop assignment
Facilitated by Earth Ethics Institute Staff        

This workshop consists of four sessions, each is focused on food, ethics and sustainability. The global food web has become increasingly more complicated with the industrialization and globalization of our world. In this workshop, hidden ethical implications related to industrialized agribusiness will be reviewed. In addition, participants will identify impacts of our eating choices on farm animals, social justice and human rights issues. How climate change affects food supply and how food production impacts climate will be explored. Participants will delve deeper into the interconnections between food, politics, human and community health, environment, ethics and justice, as they explore topics of fair trade, factory farming, resource management and depletion, climate change, overconsumption and waste. This workshop will be taught as a group-facilitated discussion, and broken into four sessions. Each sessions readings will be supported by additional resources, including web resources, videos, and other suggested materials for use in the classroom. (This is part two of a two-part workshop series, Part One is a prerequisite to this workshop.)

Objectives

-Analyze the ethical element, including social justice, and human rights, inherent in our food choices

-Identify environmental and climate impacts of our food choices

-Assess how alternative farming practices can mitigate environmentally degrading impacts and support natural systems

-Investigate current efforts to reshape political, social and ecological aspects of our food system

-Implement informed food choices consistent with our personal ethics

-Evaluate food systems on how well they align with ecological principles, community health and fairness along the food chain

-Develop a curriculum component related to the interconnection of food, politics, health, environment, ethics and justice

Evaluation:

Participants must attend ALL 4 sessions and complete all requirements to earn 12 FPD credits, partial credit will not be awarded. Evaluation will include completion of assigned readings prior to sessions two through four - minimum of four hours – and completion of workshop.  Finally, participant must develop a discipline specific lesson plan or course module that incorporates key concepts of this workshop. Lesson plan is due to the director of Earth Ethics Institute within three weeks of the end of the workshop, and will be posted on the Earth Ethics Institute webpage.

Facilitators:

Colleen Ahern-Hettich has served as director of the Earth Ethics Institute (EEI) since 2004. Ms. Ahern-Hettich has served on several boards and committees including: Environmental Education Providers of Miami-Dade County, Advisory Committee of South Florida Environmental Art Project, Inc.; Economic, Social and Health Issues Committee of the Miami-Dade County Climate Change Advisory Task Force, Be Healthy Board, and City of Miami Green Commission.

Mike Matthews has served as EEI Program Professional for InterAmerican Campus since 2012. Matthews holds an M.S. in environmental studies from Florida International University. He has taught on the faculty of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Marine and Ecological Sciences Department and as an adjunct professor at Florida International University.

Netiva Kolitz has served as EEI Program Professional at Kendall Campus since 2012. Ms. Kolitz holds a B.S. in Psychology, and has completed graduate course work in Environmental Studies and Education. She has more than 10 years of experience in program coordination, environmental education, and public outreach. Ms. Kolitz worked in the Education Department of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Alison Walker is EEI Program Professional at Wolfson Campus. She has worked in environmental education, community outreach, and professional development for more than 12 years as an adjunct professor, and at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the US Department of Agriculture. Ms. Walker received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Plant Sciences from University of Florida.

Stephen Nesvacil is EEI Program Professional at North Campus. Mr. Nesvacil served as Chaplain Emeritus at Unity on the Bay and developed and facilitated The Green Intention Workshop as part of a process to participate in the Unity Worldwide Ministries EarthCare Program. In addition, Nesvacil is certified to facilitate “The 21-Day Q Process,” an integrated cognitive shadow-work practice that weaves together the latest research emerging from neurobiology, developmental psychology, family systems theory, attachment theory, quantum science and perennial spiritual wisdom.