- Author: Elena Smith
- Editor: Emily Harris
Fresno and Madera Counties' UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program has a long standing partnership with the Fresno State Dietetic Internship Program. This blog post is part of our Intern Reflections Series.
My two weeks at UC Cooperative Extension with the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program have been packed with both new and familiar experiences, and I can truly say I have enjoyed every minute. I was reminded of how much I enjoy educating children and I learned that teaching adults has its own benefits and challenges. I've worked with children quite a bit in the past, so I was very excited to be able to teach a MyPlate lesson to children at a local elementary school during my time at UC Cooperative Extension. After my first day, however, a majority of my time was spent sitting in and assisting with classes for adults at Jobs and Beyond. I had never taught a group of adults before, so I was nervous when I was told that I would be helping with an entire, four-class series. Despite my nerves, I had a great experience with Jobs and Beyond. The adults were very receptive, and I realized that there is a large need for nutrition education in this age group.
Exposing children to nutrition information early in life is important, but parents are the ones who do the grocery shopping and make the decisions regarding whether to buy healthy or unhealthy foods. The more information they receive, the easier it will be for them to keep themselves and their families healthy. I received more experience with “real world problems” during my time at Jobs and Beyond. The class participants asked great questions like, “Which is better, canned or frozen vegetables?” and ,“My mom defrosts her meat on the counter, is that okay?” I learned that food choices and food handling information is passed down through generations. Being able to answer questions like these and provide explanations that could be passed on to others made me feel that I was making a difference.
Most importantly, I learned that working at a community site, you can't just be a teacher. You must also have the skills of an artist, a mechanic, a fitness instructor, an IT service person, and above all, a problem solver. While at UC Cooperative Extension, I had to think through my ideas for projects from different perspectives, trying to anticipate problems that could arise. With some help from the UC CalFresh staff, I was able to take the ideas I had and make them more realistic for their setting. In making my nutrition corner, a nutrition education poster that will be placed in a school, I experienced a few complications that required different skills and problem solving, including one issue that now allows me to add "laminator mechanic" to my resume. I quickly discovered that it is important to look at things from a child's perspective and anticipate how to make the poster stay together despite the chaos of a school hallway or lunchroom. I learned that it is important to stay calm, try as many solutions as you can think of, and ask others for help when needed. Overall, I had a great experience working in community nutrition alongside the helpful and enthusiastic staff at UC Cooperative Extension in the UC CalFresh program.