Service Learning Project: Sankofa Food Justice Mapping and Storytelling Initiative

Youth participants will engage in comprehensive training on Sankofa principles—the African concept of learning from the past to move forward—while developing critical digital AI literacy and social justice advocacy skills through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping of North Minneapolis’ food ecosystem.

Students will create detailed, multilayered maps showcasing community gardens, food shelves, urban farms, and local food businesses documented in the NorthStar Registry, while simultaneously producing multimedia content for the Digest platform through video documentaries and podcast interviews that capture the oral histories and cultural significance behind each food sector.

Working with community food leaders and elders, youth will learn to analyze American Community Survey (ACS) data to create demographic layers that illustrate the socioeconomic realities of BIPOC communities across census tracts in zip codes 55411, 55412, and 55407, revealing patterns of food access, income distribution, and community assets. These data visualizations will be integrated into the broader Sankofa Map platform, creating a comprehensive digital archive that connects to the NorthStar Urban Farm & Food Digital Platform’s community directory and cultural preservation efforts.

This project empowers young people to become community researchers, data analysts, and storytellers while developing a powerful advocacy tool that documents both the challenges and resilience of North Minneapolis’ food system, ultimately supporting community-controlled economic development and food sovereignty through evidence-based mapping and culturally grounded narrative preservation.