Before the meeting:
- Become familiar with the concept of food deserts by visiting the USDA Food Access Research Atlas and become familiar with the information on the website.
- Set up meeting space for Cub Scouts to be able to work using their computer or smart device.
During the meeting:
- Share with Cub Scouts that areas with greater access to grocery stores, and affordable and nutritious food are called a food oasis.
- Explain that they are going to use this website to look for a nearby food oasis.
- Ask Cub Scouts to buddy up. Provide them the web address.
- Lead Cub Scouts through finding a food oasis.
- In the box in the upper left corner under “Go to the Atlas,” have Cub Scouts type their community name and state.
- Set the Low Income and Low Access Layers to show green.
- Explain that this shows: Low-income census tracts where a significant number or share of residents is more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
- Next, have Cub Scouts check the yellow button for vehicle access. This shows where more than 100 housing units do not have a vehicle and are more than ½ mile from the nearest supermarket, or a significant number or share of residents are more than 20 miles from the nearest supermarket.
- Allow Cub Scouts to change the color icons and learn more about the food oasis in their community.
- Have them try another community and compare the results.
- Lead a discussion about different areas near you and how the census reads.
- Do we have a lot of green on the map? What does this mean?
Tip: Combine this with requirement 3 and the Digital Food Desert activity
