Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
"Inclusive Model for Developing Future Nutrition, Food, and Culinary Leaders" (IMODEL for short) is an innovative leadership development and mentored experiential learning program for underrepresented undergraduate students to address the AFRI Farm Bill Priority Area of Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health of the American Public. Nutrition-related inequalities in health status impact many chronic diseases and are serious public health concern. For instance, diet-related chronic diseases are leading causes of death in the United States, with underrepresented populations disproportionately affected. In addition, the food insecurity and food deserts faced by many vulnerable populations were made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to unfavorable health consequences. Well-trained nutrition, food, and culinary professionals from multiple backgrounds are needed to deal with these nutrition-related health inequalities and propose and develop testable solutions, interpret research into evidenced-based practice, and communicate findings to varying populations. Although food, agriculture, and related industries accounted for 11% of American jobs in 2018 and expected job growth is faster than numerous other fields, many individuals chose to leave these professions during the COVID-19. pandemic. Furthermore, national enrollment in these educational programs has decreased and the homogenous nature in the food, nutrition, and culinary profession has to be addressed. Inclusive Pedagogy framework uses active learning methods to fully engage the learners' perspectives, backgrounds and experiences in all learning environments, which promotes a sense of belonging. Using Inclusive Pedagogy as the framework, IMODEL will target underrepresented undergraduate students (defined in this proposal as people of color, economically disadvantaged groups, Veterans, LGBTQ individuals, first-generation college students, individuals with disabilities, and students at community colleges) for this innovative leadership development and mentored experiential learning program with the following objectives: 1) develop leadership skills, 2) prepare for post-graduate opportunities, 3) increase knowledge via mentored experiential learning, and 4) build a community of practice.IMODEL will complete formative virtual focus groups with current students, alumni, employers, and graduate program directors (n=40) during Year 1 that will inform IMODEL content and best practices, including IMODEL recruitment, retention, and activities. During Years 2-5, four IMODEL cohorts will complete intensive leadership development, summer internship followed by participation in a community of practice. Four Cohorts of IMODEL Fellows (n=63) will complete the three IMODEL components: Stepping into IMODEL (intensive leadership development), IMODEL Summer Internship and Reflection, and Stepping Out with IMODEL (participation in a community of practice). Stepping into IMODEL will be virtual-style seminar-style workshops based in Inclusive Pedagogy, incorporating the diverse backgrounds and learning styles of the Fellows while building a sense of belonging to IMODEL, their home and collaborating institutions, and disciplines. Use of videoconference technology will be used to allow the PDs and IMODEL Fellows from all three institutions to participate and provide robust networking opportunities. During the Summer Internship and Reflection, the IMODEL Fellows will complete a 10-week summer internship of 20 hours/week (18 hours with the internship and 2 hours in summer workshops/week). Fellows will receive a $3000 stipend and a $200 summer research/extension budget. Fellows will complete at least three written communication products for the internships. Reflection activities will be modified based on program participant feedback after each cohort. In Stepping Out with IMODEL, the Fellows will develop a poster and a public-facing sample to be presented at their institution's research/experience day. Fellows will also develop a presentation for their community of practice to be presented during the annual IMODEL virtual symposium. They will receive funding to attend a professional meeting ($1000), experiencing how research results are disseminated to professional peers and allowing them to further build their community of practice and network with nutrition, food, and culinary professionals. Upon return from the meeting, Fellows will write a reflection piece summarizing the program content, networking opportunities, and any professional gains achieved by attending the meeting.The short-term goal of IMODEL is to facilitate the growth and development of a diverse group of IMODEL graduates steeped in leadership skills who are competitive for post-graduate opportunities via mentored experiential learning and have cultivated a community of practice to rely on throughout their academic and professional careers. The societal benefit would be for our highly trained IMODEL graduates to seek leadership positions and become change makers in nutrition, food, and culinary careers of their choice. The long-term goal of IMODEL is that successful components will be scaled up at the three collaborating institutions and it will serve as a model for other programs to shape the next generation of leaders in the nutrition, food, and culinary fields.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
100%
Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
IMODEL has four objectives.1) Develop leadership skills, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. IMODEL Fellows will participate in structured workshops, mentored experiential learning, team meetings, and one-on-one mentoring that support personal growth and leadership development.2) Prepare for post-graduate opportunities. IMODEL Fellows will participate in workshops focused on navigating academic spaces, preparing graduate school applications, writing personal statements, locating scholarships and awards, building resumes, and asking for reference letters.3) Increase nutrition, food, and culinary knowledge via mentored experiential learning. IMODEL Fellows will work closely with their matched Internship Mentor assisting withi) Hypothesis-driven research examining public health burdens; ii) Community programs that provide resources and nutrition education to food insecure persons or; iii) Community agencies that distribute healthy meals and cooking information to chronically ill individuals.4) Build a community of practice. IMODEL Fellows will be provided opportunities to engage with other Fellows, the PDs, and the Internship Mentors. IMODEL graduates will be invited to the fall virtual symposium, building a community across cohort years. IMODEL Fellows may also network with students and faculty from other experiential programs, allowing them to build community outside their discipline
Project Methods
During Year 1, formative virtual focus groups will be conducted with students, alumni, graduate program directors, and employers (n=40). The insight and ideas generated will refine IMODEL content and best practices, including recruitment, retention, and activities. To recruit focus group participants, information will be distributed to undergraduate students during classes and through email listservs and to program faculty, advisors, and nutrition/food/culinary clubs during department meetings and via email. Recruitment for alumni, graduate program directors, and potential employers will be conducted by targeted listservs and emails. The focus groups will be separated by stakeholder group, use different moderator guides, and consist of 3-8 individuals per group. Current students will discuss participation facilitators and barriers, recruitment strategies, challenges to building a community of practice, and potential internship sites. Alumni will discuss the undergraduate activities and skills that best prepared them for post-graduate opportunities. Graduate program directors will discuss academic preparation of graduate applicants, including the skills and attributes that best lead to success. Potential employers will discuss the level of preparation for entry-level positions, identifying leadership skills and discipline knowledge. The focus groups will be conducted using Zoom and transcribed by Temi Transcription Services. The transcriptions will then be imported into NVivo for qualitative coding and analysis to identify recurring themes, opinions, and beliefs. The focus groups and early intervention measures will provide actionable information to drive program modifications to ensure continual improvement and help minimize attrition during Years 2-5.During the spring of Years 2-5, four IMODEL Fellow cohorts will be recruited. Recruitment materials including diverse representation and highlight objectives, eligibility criteria, application process, internship activities (in-person and remote options), and Internship Mentors will be distributed over department listservs, summarized on flyers, disseminated during classes and club meetings, and shared on the IMODEL website, which will link to a central USDA REEU network. Information sessions (virtual and in-person) will be held to allow interested applicants to attend and ask questions. Interested students will submit an online application consisting of: 1) a short essay (<500 words) that addresses reasons for applying and discusses a timely nutrition, food, or culinary topic (writing skill will not determine selection); 2) an unofficial transcript to verify required coursework completion; and 3) a resume. The selection committee (the PDs and two Internship Mentors that will rotate annually) will holistically evaluate each application for interest in IMODEL and commitment to learning and interview candidates to determine the finalists. Efforts will be made to ensure that >60% of the Fellows are from underrepresented groups. Selected students will sign an acceptance letter stating that they are committing to IMODEL.Inclusive Pedagogy will be used as IMODEL's theoretical framework to foster encouraging learning climates between all stakeholders, promote leadership skills, and build the sense of belonging that is associated with greater academic motivation and achievement. Workshops and internships will integrate active learning methods and campus resources will be leveraged so the Fellows connect with these services early and will be more likely to use them in the future. Using this theoretical framework, IMODEL Fellows will: 1) develop leadership skills, including communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking, 2) prepare for post-graduate academic and career opportunities, 3) increase nutrition, food, and culinary knowledge via mentored experiential learning, and 4) build communities of practice.Four cohorts (n=63) of Fellows will complete the three IMODEL components: Stepping into IMODEL, IMODEL Summer Internship and Reflection, and Stepping Out with IMODEL. Stepping into IMODEL: For 13 weeks in the spring, Fellows will participate in seminar-style, Inclusive Pedagogy-base, workshops, incorporating the diverse backgrounds and learning styles of the Fellows while building a sense of belonging to IMODEL, their home and collaborating institutions, and disciplines. Videoconference technology will be used to allow the PDs and Fellows from the three institutions to participate. The NYU Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP) will also provide workshops centered on identity development and impostor syndrome, topics of concern to underrepresented students. Per best practices, Fellows will be matched to Internship Mentors based upon research interests and goals. Learning contracts for the summer internships will be developed, finalized, and signed. Workshop activities will be assessed for impact as appropriate to the task, activity, or assignment and will be modified based on program participant feedback after each cohort.Summer Internship and Reflection: Fellows will complete a 10-week summer internship of 20 hours/week (18 hours with the internship and 2 hours in summer workshops). Fellows will receive a stipend ($3000) and a summer research/extension budget ($200). Fellows will complete at least three written communication products for the internships (e.g., overview of the internship site, a nutrition education handout, or a blog post). Internship Mentors will assess each Fellow via an electronic survey at weeks 5 and 10. Activities will be modified based on program participant feedback after each cohort.Stepping Out with IMODEL: Fellows will develop a poster and a public-facing sample to be presented at their institution's research/experience day. Fellows will also develop a presentation for their community of practice to be presented during the annual IMODEL virtual symposium. They will receive funding to attend a professional meeting ($1000), experiencing how research results are disseminated to professional peers and allowing them to further build their community of practice and network with nutrition, food, and culinary professionals. Upon return from the meeting, Fellows will write a reflection piece summarizing the program content, networking opportunities, and any professional gains achieved by attending the meeting.The assessment completed by the Fellows, PDs, and Internship Mentors within each year and across the life of IMODEL are part of the cycle of improvement that is critical for Inclusive Pedagogy. Fellows will complete validated surveys (Leadership Attitudes and Belief Scale Survey III, the Social Problem-Solving Inventory Revised, the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment, and the Networking in Undergraduate Research Instrument). Communication and disciplinary knowledge will be assessed using the Communications Skills Rubric by the PDs (during the three IMODEL components) and Internship Mentors (during the internship). The Fellows will complete the University Belonging Scale at the same four time points as an assessment of Inclusive Pedagogy. The IMODEL external evaluator will determine the extent to which the PD's meet their deliverables, utilize the annual formative and final summative feedback from IMODEL Fellows, PD's, and Internship Mentors, adhere to Inclusive Pedagogy assessment, and determine implementation fidelity. The project management assessment will answer questions such as: 1) How did the PD's manage the project? 2) Did IMODEL work in the way it was intended? and 3) Did it meet its objectives? The goal of IMODEL is to determine if this structured pathway, informed by Inclusive Pedagogy, facilitated the development of nutrition, food, and culinary leaders who are prepared for post-graduate opportunities with disciplinary knowledge and strong communities of practice.