Foer's Virtual Classroom Visits
Update (October 9, 2012): Last week, Farm Forward held our first series of Virtual Classroom Visits with acclaimed author and Farm Forward Board member Jonathan Safran Foer. Foer met with more than 2,100 high school and college students in eight webinar sessions to discuss animal welfare, environmental degradation, avian influenza, ag-gag, the plight of farmers, and other issues raised in his international best-seller Eating Animals. More than 70 college and high school classes in 3 countries and more than 20 U.S. states participated. The response from teachers and students has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants expressed special enthusiasm over the opportunity to interact directly with Foer in real time. Farm Forward sponsored the cost of the program, making it free of charge to all participants, and also donated more than 200 copies of Eating Animals to classrooms in need.
Jonathan Safran Foer has agreed to repeat this successful program next year! You can support Farm Forward's
educational outreach programs, including the virtual classroom visits, by making a donation today.
Original Feature
Critically acclaimed author Jonathan Safran Foer is coming to classrooms around the world this fall as part of Farm Forward's latest educational outreach program. Foer will meet virtually with thousands of high school and college students on Wednesday, October 3 to discuss the issues raised in his international best-seller Eating Animals. Through eight videoconference sessions, provided free of charge by Farm Forward, Foer will lead discussions with students on the pressing problems with today's food industry, including such issues as animal welfare, environmental degradation, avian influenza, ag-gag, the plight of farmers, and more.
It's only with your support that Farm Forward will be able to sponsor these unique "virtual visits," ensure that the program's cost is covered in its entirety, and provide free copies of Eating Animals to schools facing economic hardship.
Will you please support our Virtual Classroom Visits program by making a donation to Farm Forward today? Click here to support this crucial, consciousness-raising work.
Eating Animals conveys the message that changing the way a nation eats is as much a cultural issue as it is a technical one. Reforming farming requires social and political action, but it also requires the work of writers, artists, scholars, and religious leaders. Farm Forward supports educators who want to incorporate the cultural significance of animals and animal agriculture into their courses. Our hope is that reading Eating Animals and having the opportunity to talk directly with Foer will encourage students to examine the repercussions of their eating habits from a variety of perspectives and help cultivate new advocates for change.
If you're an educator who would like to sign up your class for the Jonathan Safran Foer Virtual Classroom Visit on October 3, click here for more information or here to visit the SignUpGenius.com page directly.
Eating Animals is already required reading in writing seminars at Boston University and Princeton University, and UNC Chapel Hill required all incoming students to read the book in 2011. It has been used in disciplines ranging from environmental and animal studies to history, philosophy, and English at institutions such as Duke University, New York University, and California State University, Long Beach. One of the reasons the book appeals to educators is that it is meticulously researched, making it a reliable reference for factual information about animals raised for food. Another reason is the nature and arrangement of its subject matter, which makes Eating Animals ideal for the development of critical thinking skills. In the book's introduction, Foer writes "[Eating animals is] a slippery, frustrating, resonant subject. Each question prompts another." It is precisely this willingness to confront complexity and still call for decisive action that makes Eating Animals unique.
Questions or comments about the virtual classroom visit program can be sent to Joey Tuminello at josepht@farmforward.com.
Also, did you know that actress Natalie Portman is producing a documentary film based on Eating Animals? Read our feature about the documentary here and sign up for our newsletter to receive updates.
Educational outreach programs are just one example of how Farm Forward puts individual contributions to work to promote conscientious food choices and end factory farming. You can join our network of supporters by making a donation that will help us continue our important work. To stay up to date on our work and to learn about how you can get involved please sign up for the Farm Forward newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
