ELI student, Makayla Beland, iImplements a plant-based cooking series to combat food insecurity and promote a sustainable diet.
One in four college students experience food insecurity—a staggering statistic that affected over 3.8 million students in 2020 alone. For many, it’s not just about affording food but knowing how to prepare healthy meals with limited time, space, and resources. In response to this pressing issue, for her ELI project, Makayla designed and implemented an eight-week vegetarian cooking series for college students. With the assistance of a grant from the UCSB Finance and Business Committee and a partnership with Apples to Zucchini Cooking School, Makayla secured funding for and access to groceries, tupperware, and cooking equipment. Each session features hands-on meal prep, nutrition tips, and bi-weekly guest speakers who broaden the conversation around food, health, and sustainability. With collaboration from the Isla Vista Food Co-Op, she secured a location for her weekly Tuesday night cooking classes, which are occurring from April 8-May 27.
“Coming into college was the first time I ever dealt with food insecurity,” Makayla shares. Now, she’s transforming her experience into action to help others by launching a cooking initiative that equips students with both reliable meals and the skills to make them. As she looks to the future, Makayla hopes her project will inspire others. Her vision? A peer-led model, where students who once participated step up to teach others—breaking the cycle of food insecurity and replacing it with knowledge, confidence, and community.
Makayla’s project is more than a class—it’s a community of support. This cooking series proves that change doesn’t require huge resources—just consistent effort and the right people.
