Gastrodiplomacy AT GFS

Gastrodiplomacy utilizes food and cuisine to create cross-cultural understanding and engagement between people from different backgrounds, cultures and identities. It encompasses not only tasting food of a specific region, but also includes the “rituals” or practices of preparation, serving and eating the meal.  Food is a universally vital part of our lives, representing history, traditions, and culture. The goal of the Gastrodiplomacy Program is to unite the GFS community over a great meal!

Students who participate in the GFS Gastrodiplomacy Program will engage the multicultural perspectives of people, groups and culture through food in a respectful manner. They will acquire tools for communicating and collaborating over a meal, using verbal and non-verbal behavior, protocol, customs and traditions specific to the cultural cuisine.

Throughout the school year, students in grades 8 – 12 will have four opportunities to experience and engage in diverse culture and cuisine from various regions around the world.  Each event will include an authentic dinner hosted in Alumnae Hall, with an educational component before the meal is served. Students will be provided information about the expectations of the meal once the final invitation list has been decided.  

• Welcome and introduction to the program
• Introduction of the country; focusing on norms, exploring the aspects of the culture that plays a role in meals 
• A walkthrough of the expectations of the meal, what are the important aspects of each dish and why it was selected for dinner
• Engage in fellowship with the opportunity to have continued dialogue about the focused country
• Supplemental Activity at the end of the meal hosted in the dorms 

All Upper School and 8th Grade students will be sent an email from the Office of Residential Life prior to each event. The email will contain a link for making a reservation which will close at noon on the Sunday prior to the event. Once the reservation has been received, students will be sent a confirmation email containing supplemental materials and detailing the itinerary. Space is limited.