"This course blended scientific concepts with tangible and pressing human issues and our students were thrilled to help out a local organization in the process!" - Locke Hassett, middle school educator
As a true interdisciplinary course and a regular feature at Watershed, the middle school Power of Bicycles Expedition course covers topics ranging from the Industrial Revolution to civil rights, industrial design, socioeconomic accessibility, and physics—all through the lens of the humble bicycle. What takes this course to the next level? Its partnership with Boulder Food Rescue (BFR) during which students put their learning into action by helping a local nonprofit with an awareness raising social media campaign.Boulder Food Rescue is a local nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and less wasteful food system, driven by the use of bicycles. Using bikes to redistribute healthy food that would otherwise go to waste, BFR delivers food to where it’s needed most, in an environmentally sustainable way. In addition to providing direct food distribution, BFR also empowers communities to run their own food rescue efforts, envisioning a world where everyone has equitable access to healthy food, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
A Stunning Reality: The Scale of Food Waste
Sean, a representative from Boulder Food Rescue, joined the class to help students engage with the social and community-focused aspects of the course. While working with students, he shared a striking fact: enough food is wasted in Boulder County to feed everyone experiencing food insecurity in the area. This revelation sparked deep discussions about food waste, the realities of hunger, and the importance of community-driven solutions.
Students learned that a significant portion of food in our community was being discarded simply because it was considered too perishable to be donated through traditional food bank methods. Typically, food donations are processed through a central warehouse, where perishable items like fresh produce often spoil before they can be redistributed. BRF saw a need and filled it, using an innovative approach: a decentralized food rescue model where bicycles are used to make direct deliveries of perishable food to communities in need, reducing waste and ensuring that fresh food gets into the hands of those who need it most.
Students Take Action
At Sean’s request, students in the Power of Bicycles course turned their learning into action. They worked together to create social media campaigns to raise awareness about food waste and food insecurity in Boulder, while highlighting the role that BFR can play in solving these problems. BFR used the content students created on their social media channels (@boulder_food_rescue).
Students created social media posts, videos, and infographics to educate the Boulder community about food waste. Watershed student Ricky ‘29 created an insightful video that highlighted the high cost of living in Boulder, which is 44.1% higher than the national average, and focused on how these costs contribute to food insecurity in our community. Ricky explained that in Boulder, many people earn just enough to fall above the poverty line but still do not qualify for government food assistance. As a result, they often struggle with food insecurity, despite working, due to the region's high housing expenses.
Segment of social media campaign video by Trea ‘29
Another video by Trea ‘29 focused on the importance of bicycles in BFR’s model, driving home the environmental benefits and cost benefits, stating, “bikes can cost in the hundreds, while cars can be many thousands, with an average tank of gas costing $57.83!” and stressing that even repairs to bicycles will never be nearly as costly when compared to those of automobiles.
Collaboration for the Common Good
Through their partnership with Boulder Food Rescue, students learned firsthand how they can become part of the solution to the complex challenges of food waste and hunger in their own community. Their social media campaigns continue to spark conversation and action in Boulder, encouraging others to think about how they, too, can reduce food waste and support local initiatives that promote equitable access to healthy food.
