Community Engagement: Campus Kitchen at UCSB

By: Cristina Ruiz, Ashley Buehler, Lena D’Amico, Madelaine Donnell and Hannah O’Connell

Transitioning into one’s first year at college is often a culture shock. Moving away from home and into a small twin bed with strangers, dining hall food, and an increase in self-reliance can be daunting. For many students, the comforts of being fed and housed by their college only last until the end of their freshman year. As the initial euphoria of freshman year wanes, a new challenge emerges for UCSB undergraduates transitioning to independent living in Isla Vista. The aim of this initiative is to inaugurate a campus kitchen and develop a program tailored for students transitioning from their freshman to sophomore year, transfer students, or those encountering barriers to kitchen access, whether due to financial constraints or factors like a cluttered or hectic kitchen environment at home. This project seeks to promote sustainability, foster cost efficiency, and cultivate healthy eating habits among participants. Students will be more educated on food growth, cooking, and community work. Cooking aids will be assigned to students as a means of fostering student-mentor relationships. This added layer is done with the hopes that the bonds created through cooking and education will be the final motivator for lasting engagement. The UCSB Multicultural Center has a kitchen furnished with a stove, two ovens, a microwave, a refrigerator, and other household appliances. Given that students can access this kitchen for free, it is a good jumping-off point when brainstorming where this learning will take place. Developing cooking skills and promoting sustainable food practices can have far-reaching impacts on healthier lifestyles, reducing food waste, and strengthening community bonds. Without the plethora of options in the dining hall, including health-conscious ones, many students struggle to sufficiently feed themselves and have enough knowledge about what is being put into their bodies. 

The Problem 

The identified problem is the abrupt transition from dining commons to independent living and subsequent independent food preparation for freshmen students at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Freshmen students are almost entirely reliant on dining commons to sustain them. Typically, freshmen spend their first year of college with up-to-date knowledge of the daily menus, hours of operation, their friend’s schedules for dining social hour, and meticulous observation of their meal swipes. After a full day of classes on campus, plus whatever workload the underclassmen engage in, the dining commons and a prepped meal are a welcome relief. However, the problem arises when students transition from the safety and reliability of the dining commons to living on their own in the neighboring community, Isla Vista. Many freshmen have little to no experience in the kitchen and do very little cooking for themselves before leaving home for college. This is a serious problem because young adults are now more independent than ever before, and have to take care of themselves to a largely unprecedented degree. The lack of cooking skills is a very real problem - individuals encounter difficulty in preparing healthy and tasty meals. Nutritional balance can become difficult, and without guidance, students struggle to sustain themselves properly. Additionally, students typically lack the knowledge of how to effectively grocery shop. This is a skill that is learned: how to collect the necessary ingredients without overindulging to avoid food waste, how to shop cost-effectively, and how to plan to feed one mouth. During their first year, students often have little to no reliance on a grocery store, even if they had cooking and grocery shopping experience before college, due to the inconvenience and lack of transportation options. Especially at the University of California, Santa Barbara, it is most common for students to not have motor vehicles on campus, relying primarily on bicycles. Freshmen would encounter difficulties with transporting groceries on a bicycle, and the convenience of a dining common far outweighs the extra effort. Furthermore, time management becomes a real problem. The dining commons were reliable with prepared meals, and freshmen lacked the experiences that would teach them about meal planning and preparation to make the most of their time. Between juggling school work, extracurriculars, and social life, time management becomes really important to properly fuel the body and mind to keep up with fast-paced college life. Overall, the problem we are addressing lies in freshmen’s inexperience in the kitchen and with properly cooking for themselves. They lack basic kitchen skills that would provide a foundation for confidence in meal prepping, healthy eating, and comfort in cooking. This University campus is an education hub, and yet there is little access to education regarding nutrition, healthy and sustainable eating habits, and free student resources such as the Community Garden and A.S. Food Bank that our Campus Kitchen Collective would aim to teach students about.

Lack of experience, nutritional knowledge, time management, financial constraints, and little access to cooking spaces during the first year of college make cooking a challenging undertaking for university students. According to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), "Food Security Among College Students: Recent Research and Policy Implications," financial constraints often lead students to choose cheaper, but less nutritious, food options. College students often have packed schedules with classes, extracurricular activities, and part-time jobs. This leaves them with little time for grocery shopping and cooking meals. A study by Laska et al. (2011) titled "College Students' Perceptions of Time and Money Influences on Food Choices" found that lack of time was one of the main barriers to healthy eating among college students. Cooking is a critical life skill, yet many students entering college lack the necessary experience and confidence to prepare their meals. According to a study by Larson et al. (2006), most young adults acquire their cooking skills through observation and assistance at home, yet many do not engage in actual meal preparation until they are living independently. This gap in practical experience can lead to challenges in meal planning, cooking, and maintaining a nutritious diet. The busy schedules of college students leave little time for learning to cook, meal prep, and grocery shopping. 

Proper nutrition provides the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed to maintain physical health and energy levels. College students often have demanding schedules, balancing classes, studying, extracurricular activities, and social engagements. Managing academic responsibilities, extracurricular activities, and social commitments can be overwhelming and time-consuming. As a result, students may prioritize convenience over nutrition, relying on quick, less nutritious food options. Poor nutrition can lead to fatigue, weakened immune systems, and increased susceptibility to illness, which can interfere with their academic and social lives (Nelson et al., 2008). Nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, support cognitive function, memory, and concentration (Ansari & Nagar, 2016). Studies have shown that students who maintain a healthy diet perform better academically. For instance, adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and certain plant oils, is linked to improved brain function and learning capabilities (Gómez-Pinilla, 2008). On the other hand, diets high in sugar and unhealthy fats can impair cognitive abilities, making it harder for students to focus and retain information (Adolphus et al., 2013). Nutrition also significantly affects mental health and emotional well-being.  A healthy diet supports the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which contribute to a positive mood and emotional stability (Sarris et al., 2015). Certain nutrients, like B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, play a role in regulating mood and reducing the risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (Jacka et al., 2010). College students are often under considerable stress, and maintaining a balanced diet can help mitigate the impact of this stress.

The Problem at UC Santa Barbara

Nearly 48% of undergraduate students experience food insecurity, with first-year students being particularly affected, facing food insecurity rates as high as 47% (Yuan et al., 2024). This highlights the urgent need for a campus kitchen to address the cooking and nutritional needs of students. Several factors contribute to the students' need for a campus kitchen at UCSB regarding their cooking needs, including financial constraints, limited access to kitchen facilities, time constraints, and a lack of culinary skills. First, financial constraints are a significant issue, as meal plans offered by universities can be prohibitively expensive, making cooking at home a more cost-effective solution for many students. Managing tight budgets is crucial, and buying ingredients to prepare meals is often cheaper than relying on on-campus dining facilities or eating out. Additionally, dietary preferences and restrictions play a vital role, as many students seek to ensure they are eating healthy and nutritious food that meets their specific needs. Cultural and dietary restrictions can make it challenging to find suitable meals in campus dining options, prompting students to cook their food to cater to their unique requirements. However, a lack of adequate cooking facilities in student accommodations, particularly in dormitories, often hampers students' ability to cook. Shared kitchens in housing units can also present issues such as high demand, lack of cleanliness, or inadequate equipment. Moreover, many students may be fearful of cooking due to a lack of experience and skills, feeling intimidated by the prospect of preparing their meals and handling kitchen equipment safely. Busy schedules and time constraints further exacerbate this fear, as students juggle academics, extracurricular activities, and part-time jobs, making cooking seem like a time-consuming endeavor. 

Audience Segments

The problem of nutritional security spans many demographics here in our UCSB community. Socioeconomic status, dietary restrictions, means of transportation, and mental and physical disabilities, are examples of influencing factors. These factors, however, are distributed throughout our entire community. Of course, we aim to serve our entire community, but there is much value in identifying and starting with a target audience within our community. A well-defined target audience allows for the creation of solutions that address specific needs, barriers, and preferences of the group. This tailoring ensures that our intervention is relevant and impactful and our outcomes are significant and measurable. By identifying a target audience, we can create messages and initiatives that resonate specifically with the group most affected by food and nutrition insecurity. We can also direct our data collection methods towards the most effective channels. 

Dorms provide a concentrated population of students with limited access to food, kitchen spaces, and nutritional and culinary education. The vast majority of residents are first-year students. Most first-year students have the least experience living on their own, being responsible for feeding themselves, and cooking because this is their first time living without a guardian. Freshmen are a vulnerable group within our campus community with respect to navigating food security and nutrition. Targeting freshmen allows us to influence their dietary habits early in their college career and facilitate the second transition from dorms and meal plans to independent living, groceries, and cooking that comes sophomore year. 

Methods for Addressing Community Needs

To understand the community's needs, we collected data from our target population through a comprehensive approach. Utilizing random sampling, conducting focus groups, and interviewing directors already engaged in addressing nutrition needs on campus, we aimed to gain a well-rounded perspective on the actual demands. This strategy ensured a thorough and accurate assessment of the community's requirements.

Recruitment Strategy & Sample

Our target demographic population is freshman and undergraduate students who are

transitioning from living in dorms or at home to living alone and having to cook for themselves. For data collection, we utilized Google Forms and distributed a survey via QR codes upon in-person interactions as well as virtually via IM messages in freshmen discord and group-me group chats. Virtually, we identified current freshmen-only group chats and sent a message with our elevator pitch and a link to our Google form. Additionally, we created a flyer via Canva, printed it out, and posted it around campus by the freshmen dormitories and the dining commons. To recruit our sample in person, we oriented ourselves near/around the freshmen dorms to intercept willing student participants. These dining commons were Ortega and De La Guerra (DLG). In an attempt at random selection, we approached a student about every five minutes and asked if they had a few minutes to answer questions regarding food security. When permitted to proceed, we gave them our project’s elevator pitch, which included our mission statement and vision, and provided them with the QR code. After survey data collection, underclassmen who were willing (i.e., the Women’s Club Water Polo members) were asked to join a focus group where we conducted questions interview style. In this setting, we developed more in-depth questions that had been developed from the survey responses to get more concise and in-depth feedback regarding the perceived success and need for our project.    

Additionally, we emailed UCSB’s Health and Wellness department to set up a meeting for information on the feasibility, logistics, and anticipated barriers of a campus kitchen. We secured one 30-minute interview with Mallory Russell, coordinator of the Food, Nutrition & Basic Skills Program within UCSB’s Health & Wellness Department. We drafted questions to learn about previous attempts at a campus kitchen, potential locations, feasibility, anticipated barriers, and funding.

Our target demographic population is freshman and undergraduate students who are

transitioning from living in dorms or at home to living alone and having to cook for themselves. Our sample of this population is 35 UCSB freshmen students. The average age of participants was 19.5 years old. 62.85% of our sample identified as women, 37.14% as men. We attempted random selection for our survey and thus received a wide range of financial backgrounds. 65.71% of our sample reported an annual household family income between $100,000 and $200,000. The other 34.29% reported incomes below $100,000 per year. The respondents were of a wide range of ethnic backgrounds: 42.86% European, 17.14% Asian, 14.29% African, 14.29% Hispanic, 8.57% Middle Eastern, and 2.86% Native American. Only 4 participants reported they were first generation college students. 

Survey

To gather the necessary information for our survey, we modeled some questions after The Campus Kitchen Collective dissertation written and executed by Allison Hardy, Erin Flaherty, and Jackie Nemetvey. We began with demographic questions that are consistent with surveys, pertaining to race/ethnicity, financial status, gender, age, etc. Then we segued into more project-specific questions. We asked how often participants cooked before college to gauge how comfortable they were with cooking, which we also asked explicitly. We inquired about their interest in cooking and their relationship with the practice - whether or not they genuinely enjoyed cooking and would be interested in taking cooking classes through the university. Importantly, we inquired about their reliance on the dining commons, and more specifically, how comfortable they are with the idea of leaving the dining commons and becoming entirely self-reliant for their own food preparation. Responses to these questions were all ranked on a Likert Scale to gather quantifiable data. After this initial portion, we asked participants to disclose their familiarity with and subsequent utilization of the following programs: CalFresh, the UCSB A.S. Food Bank, and the Isla Vista Community Gardens. We inquired about familiarity to gain a deeper understanding of how we would need to promote our own program because knowledge of the existing programs would allow us to model our advertisement after their own - we could understand whether we need to amp up our efforts for outreach or if we could imitate their existing advertising. Additionally, the A.S. Food Bank and our Campus Kitchen Collective would operate in conjunction with each other, so knowing about one could benefit the other. After this portion of the survey, we asked if participants were familiar with the concept of a Campus Kitchen. We asked this question to determine if students would need a plethora of information detailing the concept, or whether they could garner an idea of what the project is from the name (we found the latter was more predominantly the case). We included a description of what our concept is to buffer before the next set of questions: “Campus Kitchen is a program located on the UCSB campus that would provide cooking supplies, goods, and a space to cook balanced meals with fresh produce from programs such as A.S. Food Bank. With this being said, please respond to the following questions about campus kitchens.” Immediately afterward, we asked participants to rank the following items on a 5-point Likert Scale:

• How likely are you to use a campus kitchen if the cooking supplies were provided for you? 

• How likely are you to use a campus kitchen if the ingredients were provided for you?

• Would you be interested in receiving a "Cookbook Newsletter" with recipes taught by the Campus Kitchen Collective?

We asked these questions to garner knowledge regarding the realistic likelihood of students to employ the practices and program which we proposed to them. We inquired about the CookBook Newsletter out of curiosity, to see if this could become an additional building block to the program that might be an easy and sustainable way to connect with students about healthy nutritional options. The notion of a preconceived menu could be an easy way to facilitate outreach with a large number of students via a mailing list, which is both sustainable and highly feasible. Then we segued into five open-ended questions in an attempt to gather candid responses from participants. We asked what would make them more likely to engage in a Campus Kitchen and what interests them about the concept. We wanted to see how we could incentivize students and make the program the most appealing. Additionally, we asked how they would utilize the space to see what type of game plan was forming in students' minds when picturing the opportunity to have kitchen access. Finally, we asked them for their concerns with the proposed program, which greatly helped us to see issues we have overlooked and address them in our solutions portion of the paper. Overall, the survey was extremely beneficial to the project and provided us with crucial information that facilitated the hypothetical success of the Campus Kitchen program. 

Freshmen Interview 

For the interview, we talked to 50 undergraduate freshmen UCSB students. We began the process by presenting our elevator pitch and vision statement. We asked them about their demographics via survey, then we got into the questions that would help further our understanding of the community need for our project. We asked participants whether they lived in the dormitories and ate at the dining commons, what their main mode of transportation was, if they felt ready to transfer from the dining commons to their own kitchen, and if they felt prepared to cook for themselves. Then we asked them how they would feel about a free program at UCSB that would teach them kitchen skills, and explained the concept of our campus kitchen. We inquired as to how useful they thought such a program would be, whether they would utilize it, and under what circumstances they thought it would succeed. 

The goal of these interview questions was to gain an understanding of what our target audience could gain from our project’s proposal. We needed to know where the students lived and ate because the campus kitchen is reliant upon a need for cooking education. The students’ reliance on UCSB’s dining commons revealed their need for workshops to teach them how to survive on their own. We needed to understand the students’ main mode of transportation to determine how often, if ever, students were able to get off campus to pick up large loads at the grocery store. This is important information because accessing a kitchen is not the only component in cooking for oneself, the students would also need to understand how to grocery shop efficiently, to save money and lessen food waste. We wanted to know how important these aspects would be to teach in our program. Furthermore, we wanted to gauge students’ comfort level in the kitchen to set up a curriculum that could be beneficial to a wide range of individual experiences. Finally, we wanted to know if these students would even use such a program if they thought it would be helpful, and if they wanted to embark on such a journey. This is arguably the most important question of all because if the students have no desire whatsoever for such a program, then there would be no use for it. 

Administration Interview 

We conducted a one-on-one interview on June 3rd, 2024, between our group member Hannah and Mallory Russell who coordinates the Food, Nutrition & Basic Skills Program within UCSB’s Health & Wellness Department. In our email exchange to set up our meeting, Mallory shared that her department has been working on a similar project. With this information in mind, the goals of this interview were to learn about what Mallory’s team envisions for a campus teaching kitchen, the progress they have made on logistical planning, the sources of funding available, the anticipated barriers they have identified, and potential solutions to these barriers. We drafted questions to prompt this conversation and Hannah took notes during the meeting to collect information. 

Results 

Survey

We found that there is a large span in our target audience’s prior experience with cooking as exemplified in the data table above however 75% of participants are at least somewhat comfortable with cooking and 85% of students at least somewhat enjoy cooking. enjoy cooking at least somewhat. most students are eager to gain skills surrounding cooking, as many lack knowledge about campus resources and maintaining their own nutrition. Most participants were also very eager about the idea of a campus kitchen and at least 71% of participants would use the campus kitchen often or very often so long as equipment, like knives and bowls, were provided.  The largest concerns were about the cleanliness of the kitchen and doing it alone. Students felt more likely to join the Campus Kitchen if they could go with or make friends if they were given recipes with the help of a teacher, and if there were flexible time slots. 

Freshmen Interviews 

To gather real, first-hand accounts and open a channel of communication with our target audience, we conducted a few interviews with freshmen. The most in-depth and helpful responses came from the freshmen on the UCSB Women’s Club Water Polo team. In general, responses gave us valuable insight into what our program needs to encompass. Perhaps most importantly, we learned of a dire need for such an education program at the University. We learned that the discussion of a Campus Kitchen program and accompanying benefits actually enthused participants, and their immediate interest and engagement encouraged us to pursue the program. There was a common theme among students expressing a desire to learn and to be food secure, to be confident in their kitchen skills, and to be proficient in making food for themselves. We had one interviewed student say “I wish my parents had taught me how to cook, I’m honestly scared to deal with food on top of school. It was nice to come home from classes to the dining hall because dinner was ready.” A common theme among students was fear regarding the “task” of cooking, and we realize that our program can turn a daunting task into one that is simplified, more digestible, and more feasible through tips and tricks, as well as meal-prep education. 

Administration Interviews

From our interview with Mallory Russell, we learned that UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UCLA already have campus teaching kitchens. Ms. Russell shared that UCSB’s Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills program hired personnel to create an SVAC proposal for a campus teaching kitchen two years ago. For this proposal, they wanted to know the cost of building a campus kitchen from scratch. They found this would cost 3.5 million dollars. While the cost is initially daunting, Mallory noted they have already identified sources of funding. The Equity and Mental Health Fund is a funding initiative aimed at supporting student mental health and promoting equity in health services across the University of California campuses.  UCSB received $1,923,000 to address students’ needs by implementing Early Intervention and Collaborative Well-being Programs and  Comprehensive Universal Prevention and Wellness Programs. A campus teaching kitchen meets both of these distinctions. Additionally, several individual UCSB donors have committed to supplementing this fund to meet the budget. The proposed empty lot location, unfortunately, fell through during the HVAC proposal process. Following this initial attempt, Malloy and her team identified the storefront previously occupied by Jamba Juice located at the University Center as the potential kitchen location. This was a viable location for a campus kitchen because it is next to the UCSB food bank and already has kitchen-grade ventilation, lighting, and plumbing so it would cost a fraction of implementing a kitchen from scratch. They found out, however, that the University has contracted the food and drink storefronts so that only another smoothie shop can replace Jamba Juice. This motivated their exploration of a mobile teaching kitchen and implementing the kitchen in Isla Vista instead. Hannah proposed the third floor of the University Center as a potential space because the space is large, currently underutilized, and located above the UCSB Food Bank. Mallory supported this proposition as their team hadn’t considered this space. Mallory also shared that she and her team are most concerned about managing the physical space, equipment use, and sanitation.

General Observations Of Primary Barriers 

Based on our target audience data, a barrier that everyone seemed to be concerned about is ensuring that the campus kitchen would be kept clean by everyone who uses it. Many people expressed that they didn’t think people would do this, as usually signs like “please clean up after yourself” don’t work.  The second most expressed concern is the lack of space or overcapacity. This barrier of physical space was also illuminated by our administration interview. Storefront contracts on UCSB’s campus, viable locations for necessary ventilation and waste disposal are limited, and having the kitchen in Isla Vista limits accessibility for students who are spending long hours on campus and the kitchen’s access to the food bank. Fortunately, our suggestion of the third floor of the UCEN was received well by Ms. Russell. Additionally, the barrier of planning and building the kitchen space is a legitimate concern but our school already has a blueprint HVAC proposal from two years ago. Ms. Russell also noted the concern of kitchen management. Our data collection illuminated valuable barriers for us to consider as we develop our solution and incorporate these findings into our method for addressing kitchen cleanliness, physical space, and management. 

An additional barrier was elucidated during in-class peer feedback following our data collection. A classmate presented the issue of cross-contamination in a communal kitchen. There is an exceedingly diverse population of students at UCSB, with a wide range of health and nutritional habits, health restrictions, and cultural or religious-affiliated food guidelines. Managing dietary and health restrictions in a communal kitchen requires meticulous planning, communication, and execution. Additionally, strict adherence to the proposed practices is important to make sure that everyone’s needs are met and respected. However, our Campus Kitchen has several solutions that we are optimistic about, which will allow time for students with necessary accommodations to be as inclusive as possible. 

The Solution 

Our initiative aims to establish a fully equipped campus kitchen, complete with essential kitchenware such as stoves, ovens, fridges, and utensils accessible to all UCSB students. It will be strategically located above the A.S. food bank in the UCEN, ensuring convenient access for students collecting free produce. This location choice optimizes the transition from obtaining ingredients to meal preparation. The kitchen will be stocked with spices, olive oil, vegetable oil, and other necessities for cooking. Inclusivity is a priority, especially for students with dietary restrictions such as vegan eating, religious or cultural food practices, or food-related illnesses such as anaphylaxis or celiac disease. To accommodate for serious health and cultural restrictions, we decided to dedicate two days out of the week to religious dietary restrictions, such as Kosher and Halal practices, and to vegan and vegetarian dietary restrictions. Multiple refrigerators and food storage compartments will be unlocked on the affiliated days to help eliminate the risk of cross-contamination.

To further address concerns about cross-contamination, separate sections will be designated for different kitchenware, including pots, pans, cups, utensils, and plates. A labeling system will be implemented for the refrigerators, requiring students to mark their food with their name and the date of storage, ensuring timely consumption and minimizing food wastage. Students will be allotted a two-day period for their food to remain in the refrigerators, after which it will be removed to prevent spoilage where it will be composted. Moreover, students will have the opportunity to cook extra food for communal consumption, which will be particularly beneficial for those who are uncomfortable with cooking or have busy schedules. Regular cooking classes, taught by either staff or volunteers, will be offered every week or two weeks to equip students with fundamental culinary skills. These classes will be especially beneficial for those who are not comfortable with cooking or may have never had to cook before, such as transfers and freshmen.

Additionally, some classes will focus on embracing diverse cultures by featuring recipes from global cuisine, addressing the homesickness expressed by many students longing for certain cultural dishes. 

Homesickness will not stop at the craving for a certain cultural dish. Beginning college is nerve-wracking and can often be isolating. While making sure students receive care and fuel from food, it is also important to create a community within the kitchen to ensure students feel included, accepted and looked after. Two theories that were deeply looked into to account for this problem are the Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Support Theory. 

The Social Cognitive Theory and Social Support Theory are two theories that will help to understand how to persuade and change the behavior of students to create long-term healthy habits from the dirt to the home. The Social Cognitive Theory focuses on the dynamic interaction between personal factors (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy), behavior, and environmental influences. It is often used to design interventions that enhance individuals' self-efficacy to adopt and maintain health-promoting behaviors within a community context. In an article written by Andersen, Chen, and Mischel (2002), they discuss the importance of “significant others” in terms of social cognitive theory. This goes hand in hand with our group's goal to create a campus kitchen community where students can learn to cook their own food alongside the guidance of an upperclassmen volunteer and gain knowledge on what it means to cook, be food conscious, and understand where your food is coming from. Just like in the theory, the use of mentors will enhance students’ self-efficacy. By incorporating the principles of Social Cognitive Theory, we recognize the importance of personal factors, behavior, and environmental influences in shaping individuals' behaviors. Our aim is to enhance students' self-efficacy in adopting and maintaining healthy habits within a supportive community context. Having volunteers to help these underclassmen is significant in promoting community engagement as “there are linkages in memory between significant-other representations and the self that reflect knowledge about who the self is in relation to each significant other… As a result, interpretive biases in social perception emerge and, moreover, the perceiver’s experience of the self comes to reflect, in part, the self he or she experiences with the significant other—even though the significant other is not there. This shift in the self involves shifts in affect, motivation, and behavior.” Not only is it significant to implement healthy behaviors amongst underclassmen, but having peer mentors can be extremely influential in having students return and continue their learning. 

The Social Support Theory emphasizes the role of social networks and support systems in influencing health behaviors. Moreover, the Social Support Theory underpins our approach by emphasizing the role of social networks and support systems in influencing health behaviors. It helps in understanding how social relationships, norms, and support structures within communities can facilitate or hinder individuals' adoption of healthy behaviors promoted by community engagement projects. Hupsey emphasized that “the use of these models will help researchers to fully understand how social support works and how it can be strengthened to produce positive health outcomes” (Hupcey, 1998). By leveraging peer relationships and educational mentorship within the kitchen environment, we aim to create a supportive network that facilitates positive health outcomes. 

Tackling concerns raised in our survey, measures will be taken to uphold kitchen cleanliness and efficient scheduling. In order to overcome the first barrier of kitchen cleanliness, posters promoting cleanliness will be displayed throughout the kitchen, complemented by surveillance cameras to maintain vigilance. Additionally, volunteer workers will conduct deep cleaning sessions twice daily. Lastly, to overcome the second barrier of scheduling, we will manage it through hourly rotational shifts, allowing four to five individuals at a time with hour-long cooking slots. Sign-ups via our website or QR codes posted around campus will facilitate access and scheduling coordination.

Based on the entailing of an HVAC proposal, implementing a campus kitchen involves meticulous planning and execution across various fronts. First, the process begins with identifying an ideal location which we have established above the A.S. food bank on the third floor of the UCEN. Equipping the kitchen with necessary facilities like appliances and utensils requires an estimated 1-2 months for procurement and installation. Developing a scheduling system for student access, crafting promotional materials, and launching marketing initiatives could take approximately 1-2 months, ensuring a robust launch strategy. Overall, the preparation phase spans 4 months. The launch phase, lasting around 1 month, involves officially opening the kitchen, planning and conducting initial cooking classes, training kitchen monitors, and tracking usage. Ongoing expansion efforts, including refining scheduling systems, expanding class offerings, and seeking partnerships for additional resources and funding. Throughout the process, key roles such as project manager, facilities coordinator, volunteer coordinator, scheduling coordinator, and promotions coordinator play vital roles in overseeing logistics, managing facilities, recruiting and training staff, developing scheduling systems, and executing promotional strategies. 

Feasibility

The feasibility of implementing a campus kitchen hinges on careful assessment and allocation of resources. Financially, securing the estimated $3.5 milllion for initial setup costs is essential, necessitating strategic budgeting and potentially exploring diverse funding sources such as university grants or alumni donations. Human resources, including recruiting and training staff or volunteers to manage kitchen operations, are equally vital. Moreover, logistical challenges such as obtaining necessary approvals and securing a suitable location within the UCEN demand meticulous planning and effective communication with university stakeholders. To combat these barriers, we could do an assessment of food security across UC campuses. Other UC campuses have campus kitchens so if we score lower, we could use that as an argument for administration. The administration would be fiscally motivated to improve the attractiveness of our campus by out-competing the other universities on food security scores.   

Sustainability

Sustaining the campus kitchen initiative involves ensuring its long-term viability and relevance to student needs. This entails ongoing promotion efforts to maintain student engagement and support, along with regularly scheduled cooking classes to continuously equip students with culinary skills. Additionally, plans for scaling the campaign involve expanding kitchen operations, increasing class offerings, and forging partnerships for additional resources or funding. Continuous feedback collection and program evaluation will facilitate adaptive adjustments, ensuring the campaign remains impactful and sustainable for the foreseeable future. The outpouring of support we received from the sample of our target population provides a rich source of energy for our program. Students here at UCSB are excited about the potential of a kitchen. This passion for food security and cooking that courses through our campus community will propel this program far beyond the time we ourselves are enrolled as students. 

Impact

After reading through the survey feedback from the freshmen participants, it was obvious there were many fears and anxieties surrounding getting comfortable in a kitchen. Especially after leaving the comfort of a dining hall right around the corner. Currently, most students fear that their ability to cook and nourish their bodies after moving out of the dorms will diminish. A lot of students also lacked the resources, knowledge, and supplies to successfully implement healthy cooking in their lives by themselves. Campus Kitchen aims to fix that problem by giving students a space where they can learn about and cook new meals and form a community. It will offer cooking utensils and supplies, as well as plates and dishware organized by food restrictions. Depending on the number of students who sign up, it will allow the Campus Kitchen to measure how much food, supplies, and volunteers are needed so that there is as minimal food waste as possible. The classes aim to incorporate as many students as possible, whether that is a repeat customer or someone who is interested in just taking one class. But the impact of the Campus Kitchen does not stop there. It also creates a network of people for students to lean on, learn from, and connect with. Through mentors and volunteers who aim to educate these students, underclassmen will also have a positive influence to look up to and guide them through their lack of knowledge or curiosity about healthy and nourishing cooking. The success of the Campus Kitchen relies heavily on the impact it has on its students. Students are the key factor that will keep the Campus Kitchen alive through repeated participation, the eagerness to expand their knowledge on food and cooking, and the community that is created through it. This program will in turn equip freshmen with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to appropriately sustain themselves while also building a community of like-minded individuals. In order to make sure that Campus Kitchen is keeping up with the changing lives of students, follow up surveys will be conducted every quarter to see what actually is impacting the students, and what can be changed in order to support them more. 

Conclusion 

In summary, UCSB students face challenges transitioning from dining commons to independent living due to a lack of cooking skills, limited kitchen access, and poor nutritional knowledge, exacerbated by financial constraints and busy schedules. Our proposed campus kitchen initiative aims to promote sustainability, cost-efficiency, and healthy eating by providing cooking education and fostering student-mentor relationships. Targeting freshmen and transfer students, we collected data through surveys and interviews to understand their needs and barriers. Key findings include limited kitchen access, cleanliness issues, and financial constraints. Our campaign will inaugurate a campus kitchen, offer educational workshops, and provide cooking aids to overcome these challenges. By leveraging existing resources and focusing on practical skill development, we aim to create lasting positive change in the UCSB community.

References

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