At Tufts, the Upward Mobility Kitchen experience provides students with a powerful, hands-on introduction to community-driven food justice work. During immersive spring break programs in Halifax, students engage directly with efforts to combat food insecurity—helping prepare and distribute thousands of meals for local schools, many of which operate under a pay-what-you-can model. Through partnerships with organizations like Feed Nova Scotia and The Nook Café, students also explore innovative approaches such as meal token systems that ensure access to nutritious food without stigma.

This experience is more than volunteer work—it’s a transformative learning opportunity. Students gain a deeper understanding of public health systems, food recovery, and the critical role that local collaboration plays in building resilient food networks. The program challenges participants to reimagine how food access can be structured with dignity and equity at its core, and encourages them to bring these insights back to Boston and their future careers in food systems, nutrition, and public policy.