Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The NOURISH Scholarship Program is a combined MSP and SEL 4 year project. Codes: F, N and O-Food Systems. The NOURISH addresses two challenges in the healthcare field. (1) Addressing malnutrition through increased access to healthy and sustainable diets is nuanced and complex. Nutrition, health and other FANH professionals are well-positioned to provide guidance to individuals and in food systems policy initiatives; however, health professionals, including Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), receive minimal education in their professional curriculum on agriculture and food systems. In this project, we provide experiential learning in agriculture and food systems to nutritional sciences students who intend to pursue dietetics or other FANH professions. (2) Access to graduate and professional school preparation and mentoring. The BS Degree in Nutritional Sciences provides students with a strong foundation of academic coursework; however, no formal food systems education or experience is required in the curriculum and there are no formal peer mentoring programs. In this project, NOURISH Scholars receive ongoing culturally responsive mentoring each semester, attend four leadership workshops, actively participate in professional organizations, and complete eight units of experiential learning curriculum focused on food systems, the role of extension, and food science and safety. The NOURISH Scholars Program is an innovative educational model addressing the two identified challenges by employing culturally responsive approaches to teaching, mentoring, and training, and implementing experiential learning interventions that address minority college students' barriers of awareness, opportunity, and achievement (AOA).
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The goal of the NOURISH MSP is to prepare future nutrition and FANH professionals to effectively advance initiatives and policies that increase food access, food security, nutrition, and overall health. Through collaborative efforts in healthcare, food and agriculture industries, and public and private community-serving organizations, the scholars will be trained to navigate the complex challenges associated with achieving health equity in their communities through their work in existing healthcare professions, and careers that do not yet exist. The NOURISH Scholarship Program provides targeted experiences in food systems that compliments the science-intensive pre-health curriculum, to ultimately produce engaged and informed change-makers who appreciate the responsibility of healthcare professionals to advocate for sustainable and resilient food systems as a mechanism of promoting health equity.Objective 1, recruit and select ten highly qualified MSP Scholars; Objective 2, engage Scholars with their community the food system, and research through immersive learning; Objective 3, support Scholars in meeting academic program requirements; Objective 4, develop Scholars' leadership and professional competencies; Objective 5, prepare Scholars for graduate and professional school.
Project Methods
The NOURISH Scholars are juniors and seniors majoring in the SNSW who are enrolled at UArizona-Main Campus. During two, 2-year cohorts of five scholars each, the NOURISH Scholars Program will provide students with the following support and experiences to promote their academic and non-academic success, and their preparation for entry into FANH graduate and professional schools and the workforce: 1) Complete 8 units of hybrid academic coursework with 160 hours of immersive on-site learning in food systems, community food literacy programs, and food related research. These classes involve hands-on learning through agriculture and food systems excursions, urban farming and community food and nutrition education, and research related to food science and safety, and are open to enrollment by students in SNSW in addition to NOURISH Scholars. As part of the NOURISH program Scholars will attend four immersive agriculture and food systems excursions where they will interact with producers, production managers, and other industry business leaders to learn about complex food systems challenges affecting different industries and consumers. The Experiential Learning Cycle applies to our immersive on-site curriculum and our special experiential learning, and is adaptable to all learning styles and having experiential learning opportunities during college is highly correlated with degree completion11. 2) Participate in four culturally responsive NOURISHING Leaders workshops in Tucson, AZ focused on promoting a) productive mentor/mentee relationships b) strengths-based leadership c) exploring career paths in FANH d) graduate and professional school preparation e) Food Systems. Faculty and nutrition professionals from diverse backgrounds will be invited to co-deliver these workshops, and will highlight information such as professional networks for people of color in nutrition and food related fields, food justice in the food system, and others. 3) Attend four, one-on-one academic advising sessions conducted by Academic Advisors in SNSW, where they will receive referrals to academic and non-academic support programs offered at UA. 4) Attend four, small group mentoring sessions supporting preparation for graduate and professional school and career exploration, conducted by graduate students and CO-PD's Linares-Gaffer, Skorupski, and support staff; all mentors will complete inclusive mentor training. 5) Attend four professional meetings to engage in professional communication and networking. 6) Create a final project to present one or more of their experiences in the program to peers, faculty, and stakeholders during a poster presentation at the end of the cohort. Finally, 7) All scholars will be strongly encouraged to utilize various non-academic support services.Special Experiential Learning (SEL): Description. Through this SEL, we seek to develop our first cohort of scholars while engaging them in work that helps to recruit the next MSP cohort and develop the pipeline of future FANH professionals among 4-H participants. The first cohort of NOURISH Scholars will be provided funding and mentoring during their first year of the program to engage in planning a conference with our Cooperative Extension collaborator, the Tucson Village Farm. The conference will be geared towards connecting youth from across Arizona who participate in the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors program with our scholars and other undergraduate and graduate students pursuing FANH degrees at the University of Arizona. This conference is called the Kids of Arizona Leadership Experience (KALE) and has been offered once before, but without the engagement of college students. Conference activities will include hands-on gardening and cooking activities, activity-based nutrition and wellness lessons, opportunities to meet with nutrition and other FANH professionals, and a re-imagined poster session where and undergraduate and graduate experiences are described and celebrated.?