A Washington High School educator just completed a professional development program on how to be a “global changemaker,” which has served as a launch pad for her ambition to tackle food insecurity and sustainability in the community for years to come.

English teacher and instructional coach Kerrie Willis participated in the World Food Prize Foundation’s “Global Guides” program, which included attendance at the 2021 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue and Global Youth Institute last October in Des Moines. Last December Willis told KCII that she envisioned undertaking a large project combating hunger in the community, and since then she has found some of her key players in Cindy Rico Chavez of Washington County Environmental Health, Andy Dahl of the Washington Tree Committee, and high school student Grace Voss, who has also formed an Earth Club at the school, “It’s been a great experience just connecting the dots, and I do appreciate KCII and also our local newspaper because that was how I was able to connect with several other people as they heard the story or read the story. So I do appreciate that.”

This interdisciplinary project has developed into goals of planting a community orchard this fall, and a community garden in spring of 2023, as well as supporting efforts at the high school to reduce waste in the cafeteria. Willis shares she has also met with Halcyon House Executive Director Chris Marshall about their recent community garden project, as well as Washington Parks Superintendent Nick Pacha, Washington County 4-H/Youth Coordinator Amy Green, and the Washington County Master Gardeners, “What I’ve learned is that bringing even a few people together to consider a question can yield exponential results expanding knowledge, multiplying our resources, connecting key players and really enriching community collaboration between diverse folks that have a lot of different backgrounds and strengths. And I feel like while this is the end of Global Guide professional learning experience for me, it is by far only the beginning of what’s possible and I’m very excited about that and very grateful for my partners that I’ve met so far.”

Willis also hopes to encourage more students to apply for the World Food Prize Foundation’s Youth Institute, and invite additional colleagues to take part in promoting sustainability and fighting hunger. Those who would like to join Willis in her efforts can find her contact information in this story at kciiradio.com. Willis’ email is kwillis@washington.k12.ia.us.