Khiandra Hampton is an AmeriCorps member serving with Food Literacy Center’s first cohort of Food Literacy Corps. She joined the Food Literacy Corps in September 2016 and will complete his term in July 2017. Khiandra is responsible for teaching food literacy curriculum at 4 low-income elementary schools.

Why did you choose to do a year of AmeriCorps service? 

Growing up, I lived in a food desert but I had no idea. My mom grew most of the fruits and veggies we ate throughout the day so I never had to worry about where my nutrients were coming from. But as i got older i noticed a lot of my classmates weren’t eating as many greens as I knew you should be having, so I joined my schools environmental program that helped not only my schools community but the district as well letting them use our garden space for college classes, extra credit, use of our eggs from the coop, and anything else that benefited both our community and us. So from there I’ve tried to make sure that i help whatever community i live in with the skills that I’ve gotten since then.

Favorite moment in the classroom this year? 

My favorite moment was when one of my 6th graders was telling her other classmates about the way her mother makes guacamole and that she’ll be using this recipe when her mom doesn’t feel like making her version.

What do you plan to do with the skills you’ve gained at Food Literacy Center this year (what’s next)?

I intend to go back to school to study early childhood education.