Breaking Ground 2012: Students Uniting For a Real Food Economy
Welcome to Breaking Ground 2012: Students Uniting for a Real Food Economy
Last update: February 15, 2012 7:30am EST
Conference_Goals - Conference_Updates - Registration - Fundraising_Tips - Travel_Scholarships - Agenda - Keynote_Speakers - Housing - Getting to and from UC Santa Cruz - What to Pack/About_Santa_CruzWe need people to Share their Skills ! Check out what your fellow attendees sharing and sign up! docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc
This is the official site for Breaking Ground 2012 : Students Uniting for a Real Food Economy. The most current and up-to-date information about all your conference needs are here! Check back periodically to find useful and relevant information for the four-day conference uniting almost 200 students, community leaders and food activists for a weekend of intensive campaign strategizing and collaborative learning.
The national convergence comes at an exciting time. With the first ever Food Day this fall, we are making our voices heard on over 200 college campuses! The Breaking Ground summit will celebrate the advances we have made so far and provide space for us to chart our next steps as a movement. It will be exciting weekend full of interactive workshops and strategy sessions, powerful speakers, and (of course) deicious local and fair trade food!
Location: University of Santa Cruz, California (UCSC) www.ucsc.edu
Date: Friday February 17 - Monday February 20, 2012 (President's Day weekend)
*Breaking Ground 2012 logo by design wizard and UCSC student Alex VillegasGoals for the conference
1. Meet and network with other real food student campaigners from around the nation!
2. Gain critical skills, information, experiences and stories that will help us be more effective in this work.
3. Move into the spring with new inspiration, new clarity of purpose and plans to implement.
How is this different than previous summits?
1. This is the first time ever where students will be able to meet like-minded individuals on a national level!
2. The conference is based heavily on learning and practicing useful skills and campaign tactics! Some of the main topics may include how to create a relationship with your dining service provider, leadership skills, dealing with particular food companies etc.
What would you like to see at Breaking Ground 2012?
Fill out our pre-conference survey: Click here to take survey
Conference Updates
For the latest updates on the conference, check-out our weekly Breaking Ground 2012 email archive:
February 10, 2012: Everything You Need to Know About Breaking Ground 2012
Attachments: Local Transportation at Breaking Ground
January 30, 2012: What to Pack for Breaking Ground 2012
January 23, 2012: Flights, Fundraising and Entertainment
Attachments: Campus Media Toolkit and Skill Sharing
January 9, 2012: Breaking Ground 2012 Almost One Month Away
December 30, 2011: Goodbye 2011, Let's Get Pumped for Breaking Ground 2012!
We want to send a big "Thank You!" to the following organizations that have donated food for Breaking Ground 2012:
Volunteering
Breaking Ground 2012 is fueled by volunteer organizers and we are asking all conference participants to sign-up for a volunteer shift during the conference. This is a great way to get to know your fellow organizers and participate in conference facilitation. Sign-up early here!
Registration
Registration for Breaking Ground 2012 is closed. If you would like to attend the conference, please contact Stephanie at stephanie@realfoodchallenge.org
Thank you for your interest in Breaking Ground 2012. We have a limited amount of space available, so register early!
The registration fee includes the cost of meals, space and materials, and housing. The actual cost of the conference per person is approximately $180. The Breaking Ground planning team (which consists of student leaders just like you!) has been working hard through grassroots fundraising to lower the cost of the registration fee for conference participants. However, to support the participation of others through scholarships, we encourage you to register at the highest level that you can afford. Regardless of the level you pay, your registration fee will cover all of the essentials.
$25 per person - on or before December 12, 2011 (Early bird ticket!)
$40 per person - on or before February 1, 2012 (Last day to register)
$80 per person - if your school or organization is paying for you.
Step 1: Registration for Breaking Ground 2012 is closed
Step 2: CLICK BELOW TO PAY
PLEASE NOTE: In order to complete the registration process you must submit the registration form AND pay the registration fee via paypal.
WAITLIST: In an effort to maintain a diverse group of attendees, we reserve the right to waitlist all registrants who exceed our capacity for this conference (a total of 200 attendees).
Fundraising Tips and Opportunities
Fundraising to cover your travel and registration cost can be easier than you think. Read below for 5 quick tips or download The Guide to Fundraising Regional Field Organizers in your region, and members of the summit planning team are good resources to ask for help--do not hesitate to reach out! Also you may contact the travel scholarship coordinator Taylor Owen at sr.towen@gmail.com
5 Personal Fundraising tips!
1. Contact local businesses for sponsorship
2. Draft a letter: Make a list of 20 people that you know and send them a personalized letter to help support you.
3. Host a Real Food Community dinner: Create a delicious dinner for your friends and family and ask them to donate to your cause!
4. Use social media in your favor: Create a facebook page or a twitter account asking folks to support you in your fundraising!
5. Ask your school: Academic departments, professors, student government, sustainability offices , student activities office. Prepare a letter - or ask for a short meeting to tell about why attending the conference is so important!
Travel Scholarships
We are committed to ensuring that financial burden associated with travel does not prevent any committed students from attending Breaking Ground 2012. We also believe fundraising is an important skill for all student organizers to practice!
We will have limited funds for travel scholarships, which we would like to reserve for students who go to schools that are unable to adequately support them to attend the conference. All other students will be expected to fundraise locally to cover their costs (see our fundraising guide for tips).
- Scholarships will be given out on a case-by-case basis
- All scholarship recipients will be expected to fundraise for at least a portion of their travel costs--i.e. we will give out partial or “matching” scholarship grants
- Scholarships are solely for travel expenses; all attendees are expected to pay their full registration fees
- Scholarships will be granted in the form of reimbursements. You will be reimbursed 2-3 weeks after attending the conference.
- We will do our best to get back to you about your scholarship request within 2-3 weeks. Please refrain from paying your registration fee until we have responded you your request. When you do pay your registration fee, you will be allowed to pay hte rated based on the day you submitted the registration form.
In order to receive the travel scholarship, you must apply on or before December 12,2011.
If granted, you will receive an email from a member of the planning committee confirming the scholarship allocation; you must also attend and sign in at the summit for the scholarship reimbursement to be disbursed.
If this does not work for you, let us know: sr.towen@gmail.com
Conference Agenda
We are thrilled to be able to showcase a tentative conference agenda! Although there may be some changes, this is what we are currently planning to offer. If you are booking flights, please take careful consideration as to your arrival time.
Sharing our Creative Skills -SOCS! - Saturday Feb. 18 7:30-8:30
The deadline has been extended!
What is your passion? Do you love to can vegetables? Have you brewed your own beer? Sharing Our Creative Skills (SOCS) is for you! This is a chance for all attendee to share their skills and knowledge to the entire delegation. If you are interested in presenting please email carolina at carolina@realfoodchallenge.org by February 5.
Keynote Speakers
We are excited to announce our keynote speakers for Breaking Ground 2012:
Hai Vo of Live Real (and an RFC Alum!)
Nikki Henderson of People's Grocery
Tony Serrano of ALBA Organics
Maisie Greenwalt of Bon Appetit
Housing
We are providing free housing for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz. Please plan on bringing a sleeping bag and floor pad. We have a limited number of sleeping bags and/or floor pads available to rent. If you will be needing a sleeping bag, please contact Stephanie at stephanie@realfoodchallenge.org.
Showers will be available on campus in the mornings before breakfast. Be advised that these are open, locker-room-style showers.
The church is situated at the base of the UC Santa Cruz campus. We will provide shuttles to and from the church to the North Campus where Breaking Ground 2012 will convene:
Getting to and from UC Santa Cruz
We will provide shuttles to and from San Jose International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. The shuttle schedule is available here: BG2012 Shuttle Schedule
If you are driving into Santa Cruz, check-out your parking options here: Local Transportation at Breaking Ground
If you have any questions about local transportation, please reach out to Stephanie at Stephanie@realfoodchallenge.org
What to Pack
• Sleeping bag and floor pad: we’ve partnered with a local church to provide free housing. But be mindful that you’ll be sleeping on hardwood floors for the conference. We recommend bringing a floor pad as well as your sleeping bag. We have a limited number of sleeping bags and/or floor pads available on a first come, first serve basis for the first 25 people. Please contact Stephanie if you need help getting a sleeping bag Stephanie@realfoodchallenge.org
• Musical instruments
• Documents and resources from your campus campaigns that you can share with your fellow Real Food Leaders. Consider sharing these resources throughout the conference, but also specifically during our skill share time and Open Space Forum
• Reusable silverware, coffee tumbler and water bottle
• Small head light for moving around after lights out
• Games and cards
• Check-out the UCSC weather forecast here – Average temperature during the day will hover around 60, but pack layers! The Santa Cruz fog is known to chill. Expect some clouds on Saturday and Sunday.
What not to pack
• Drugs and alcohol
Check out cool links to the programs about food and sustainability at UCSC!
Sustainability Department at UCSC
The Campus Sustainability Office (S.O.) helps foster a "culture of sustainability." The S.O. supports campus-wide sustainability efforts through coordination, program development, and publicizing campus efforts.
UCSC student run sustainability organizations
Read about some of the exciting student run sustainable organizations like The Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP), Student Evironmental Center, and the Campus Sustainability Center.
Community Agroecology Network (CAN)
Community Agroecology Network (CAN) is an international organization that confronts some of the world’s most pressing problems in sustainability and conservation. CAN helps rural communities in Mexico and Central America develop self-sufficiency and sustainable farming practices. We promote integrated approaches to sustainable community development.
The Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA)
Through seminars, practical training in agroecology and organic gardening, student involvement in campus and community gardens, and the development of local composting projects, PICA students are able to integrate classroom instruction with hands-on learning.
Real Food Events
Challenge Partners
Sponsored by The Food Project and the California Student Sustainability Coalition