Capstone

The Food Systems Capstone, NUTR 493, is a culminating academic endeavor for UW undergraduates majoring in Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health. The capstone provides students with an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills acquired in their courses to a specific food systems problem or issue. This six-credit course emphasizes systems thinking, community engaged scholarship, sustainability, and equity; these objectives are attained through real-world opportunities for students to grapple with complex issues across the food system. 

Teams of 4-6 senior students work with direction from the instructor and in partnership with community leaders, who identify an area of interest for students to address. Over the quarter, student teams will refine the project focus; consult with and report back to their community partner; and conduct a regionally-based project addressing sustainability and equity within the Washington State food system. Types of outcomes may include: performing literature or methodology reviews; surveying or evaluating programs; synthesizing and allocating resources; creating educational and outreach materials; and more. 

The role of the instructor is to provide instruction regarding steps for addressing food systems issues, guidance in terms of in-class discussions among student teams, and resources when needed and appropriate to aid in student progress. The role of the community partner is to identify an issue for investigation that would benefit from student energy, curiosity, and creativity; provide access to relevant materials; and give feedback to the student teams where appropriate and feasible. The community partner and initial project direction are typically identified by the teaching team one to two quarters before the capstone begins. This advance planning helps ensure that projects are meaningful, feasible within the quarter timeline, and aligned with both community needs and course learning objectives. 

All projects require student creativity and offer a space for students not only to apply what they have learned, but also to continue learning throughout the process. Students are expected to navigate ambiguity, adapt to and critically think about evolving projects, engage with diverse perspectives, and develop new knowledge and competencies as they work towards meaningful outcomes and deliverables. In this way, the capstone serves as a bridge between academic learning and professional practice, while also providing opportunities for students to prepare for careers beyond UW through professional development activities such as resume workshops and digital portfolio creation. 

Community partners may include leaders and representatives from community-based organizations, local and county government, social enterprise, and other key stakeholders. Partners may represent: farm, farmworker, and food systems organizations and initiatives, school boards, public agencies, conservation districts, food hubs, and more. Examples of past capstone projects can be found on our Student Projects page. Community partnerships may develop for one or more years, so some of the community partners in any given year may have partners the year before.  

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Apply a food systems approach to real-world circumstances and challenges
• Engage in methods used to conduct food systems research and analyze impacts of food systems on population health  
• Develop recommendations and articulate them using clear and effective oral and written communication 
• Appreciate the breadth and depth of professional opportunities in food systems, nutrition, and health 
• Articulate the means by which social inequities and racism, generated by power and privilege, are embedded within food systems and undermine health