This past week, students enrolled in the Byrne First Year Seminar, faculty, students, staff and community partners spent an Alternative Spring Break learning about food security and engaging in hands-on projects with Unity Square Community Center, REPLENISH, and Elijah’s Promise. Students built planters and raised garden beds, unloaded pallets of food, helped pantry neighbors make food selections at Unity Square, prepared food at Elijah’s Promise, prepped existing beds and cleaned up the Suydam Street garden, made seedling kits for children, snack packets and cards for REPLENISH, among many other fun and exciting activities.

RU Engaged is a Chancellor-funded effort to support community engaged teaching and learning. The project, led by Cara Cuite and Kathe Newman, includes a series of Byrne First Year Seminars with embedded Spring Breaks and the creation of a faculty community of those interested in community engaged teaching. RU Engaged is a partnership of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy along with the Byrne Seminar Office, the Office of Spring Breaks, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the Ralph W. Voorhees Center for Civic Engagement.