Fresno County's 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.

Having a rotation with UC CalFresh has been a great learning opportunity, and it all starts with the amazing students that are being taught about proper nutrition. It is evident that the students are excited when the UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators are there to teach them about nutrition. I was also so amazed when I went into the classrooms to see that the students knew about MyPlate and could name the foods that went into each category. I could already see the benefits of early nutrition education and I think the food tastings provided to the students is a magnificent enhancement to the nutrition education because many of the children may have never tasted the foods that have been provided for them to taste. It is great to see that they are getting that exposure and that the students actually like the healthy foods that they are trying for the first time.

I had the privilege of teaching some of the lessons to the students, which was so much fun! For the younger students, I read Green Eggs and Ham to show them that trying new foods and protein is important because they never know whether or not they will like a food they have never tried before.  One of the other main lessons that I taught was about plant and animal proteins, and I was amazed at how fast the students picked up this concept. The one food item that always threw them for a loop was tofu. When I would show the picture of the tofu to the students they always thought it was cheese. This created a great opportunity to talk about where tofu comes from and what recipes typically include tofu. This was also a great lesson to talk about keeping their muscles healthy and strong. It was a great experience and I can see that it makes a real difference in these children's lives. Another great lesson that I was a part of was teaching about physical activity. The students were very excited and did a great job participating in all the exercises. It was great to see them so excited about moving around and being active.

 

 

           

I also had the opportunity to attend some of the adult classes and help teach the adult participants as well. This was a great way to see that no matter what age you are, nutrition education and knowledge is relevant. It was also great because even though they are adult classes, the adults can pass on the knowledge they learn to their children. During one of the classes, I was able to teach and explain the BMI table that can be used to assess one's own health. This was a great experience for me to make sure that I can communicate the information well so that the audience has a complete understanding. I also love the fact that these adult nutrition classes also include a recipe demonstration. This portion of the lesson provides easy recipes to cook at home along with the nutrition of the food that's being prepared.

Overall, I enjoyed being a part of this program and helping to improve the nutrition knowledge of the Fresno community. I was able to work with several of the nutrition educators and coordinators and I can say, with confidence, that they do an amazing job teaching and working with the children and adults in the community. This is a really great nutrition education program!

Fresno County's 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.

I began this rotation not really knowing what to expect, or what was in store for me. I remember meeting Brittanny and Shawna at our internship orientation where we learned a little about the UC Cooperative Extension, reviewed My Plate, and played a really fun and physically active version of nutrition jeopardy. I was excited to see the application of similar lessons in a classroom setting in order to learn more about all that they do at the UC Cooperative Extension.

My first day was at Kratt Elementary where I was able to see different types of nutrition activities that are done with grades pre-school through 2^nd grade. We started at the pre-school level and went around to the different classes where we did a MyPlate review and then a nutrition lesson with the kids. I observed the first few and then took a turn doing the MyPlate review. I was feeling kind of nervous, but it was fun seeing the kids' reactions. I really enjoyed observing the way that my preceptor, Shawna Rogers, interacted with the kids. She had all of their attention and was very engaging. It was a neat experience, and I feel like I learned a lot from observing her teaching style. I really like how she used hand motions for all the food groups on MyPlate to help the kids remember and to allow them to participate. I learned a lot about how to talk to kids and what types of things they respond well to. They LOVE to be asked questions AND to take turns, so activities were huge! As dietetic interns, we work mostly with adults, so this rotation was extremely beneficial to get a chance to observe and experience working with kids.

I was very fortunate to attend Farm and Nutrition Day at the Fresno County Fairgrounds. It was my first time visiting the fairgrounds and my first time attending a farm and nutrition day, so it was a memorable experience! The event consisted of 3^rd grade classes from Fresno County schools coming on buses to the fairgrounds to interact and learn from different exhibits teaching about farming, agriculture, and nutrition. It is a really neat concept, and I think they should offer events like this in more areas. I had the unique opportunity to become an orange for the day (yes, an orange), and be part of the UC CalFresh “Healthy Crew.” As a member of the “Healthy Crew,” I was able to participate in 4 showings of a nutrition play focused on "sometimes" foods versus "anytime" foods, and practice demonstrating the MyPlate food groups during each performance. Dressed as Miss Orange, I became a celebrity for the day and even signed my first autograph! The kids loved the play and loved our costumes even more. I had no idea what was in store for my on Farm and Nutrition Day, but it ended up being a lot of fun and I hope I have the chance to attend again in the future.

 

During this rotation I also learned about different adult classes that are taught by the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. I attended several classes taught for the Jobs and Beyond Program, where participants learned about reading labels, meal planning, calories and sugar in sweetened beverages, physical activity, BMI, daily calorie requirements and much more! Each lesson was accompanied by a tasty and simple food demonstration that included a sample and a recipe to take home. This is a really fun way to teach new ideas for healthy eating, and it increased participation in the class. It was very educational learning from each presenter's teaching style and classroom dynamic. They all had great real world examples and easy to understand ways of explaining things that engaged the class and provoked discussion. Teaching is definitely an area that I need to gain more experience, so this rotation was really helpful to break me out of my comfort zone and allow me to experience working with a variety of age groups. In my down time I was able to help with some game development for kids, assemble tasting bags for youth food tastings, and enter important data for the UC CalFresh Food Tasting Tool and the EFNEP program. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time visiting classrooms, providing adult education, attending off-site events and meetings, and assisting with food tastings and data entry. The UC Cooperative Extension is a busy place with many efforts to encourage healthy eating through nutrition education for all ages. 

 

    

Fresno County's 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 time at UC CalFresh went by so quickly and I found my experience true to the quote, “time flies when you are having fun!” During my rotation, I was able to experience a wide range of activities and duties that employees and nutrition educators do on a daily basis. Activities that I participated in ranged from attending community meetings to networking with neighborhoods and Fresno County programs to visiting kindergarten classrooms to play games and increase physical activity. 

Being from Fresno and having experience volunteering throughout the community, I was surprised that I had never heard of the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program, but I have been encouraged by their work. Now more than ever, children and adults are in need of evidence-based nutrition information and that is just what UC CalFresh provides, but in a fun way. The effectiveness of the lessons and their seamless incorporation into the students' classroom curriculum is visible in the students' knowledge that far exceeded my own at their age. While visiting the classrooms, I was pleasantly surprised that the students were aware of what healthy eating is and most importantly why it's important. For example, during my lesson I couldn't believe the students in my classes knew what MyPlate was and what foods were "sometimes" foods and "anytime" foods. When I was their age I had no idea there was a MyPyramid!

My favorite part of this rotation was the opportunity to go to schools and teach students of all ages. Prior to this rotation, I had experience teaching adults, but my experience working with children and adolescents was limited. I must admit I was nervous at first when it was my turn to take over the classroom and teach the lesson, Anytime and Sometimes Foods (it has been a while since I read The Hungry Caterpillar,) but about halfway into the lesson, I found that I enjoyed teaching the students and making an impact in their lives. 

Something that resonated with me while observing the nutrition educators at the different sites was their ability to adapt the lesson plan and key messages so that they were appropriate for the audience. For example, on my second day, I went from classroom to classroom with the nutrition educator observing her teach pre-K, second grade, and kindergarten, flawlessly executing each lesson while also making adjustments for the appropriate age level. Not only was the educator able to “wear a different hat” in each class, but her energy never faded after countless presentations. This ability to adapt to the different age groups and provide fun and interactive presentations that appear to be her first, not fourth in a long day to come, is something that I admire and desire to develop.

I also enjoyed observing all the different classes that UC CalFresh offers as well as professional meetings. I have found throughout my internship thus far, that time allotted for observations is where a large portion of the learning is done. It is at this time that I am able to absorb all of the different teaching techniques and compare them to my own experiences. I was not only able to observe classes offered to students at elementary schools, but also to adult students. Much to my surprise, the adult students desired more information and understood the importance of the role of nutrition in health and well-being. During a class I observed, participants learned about MyPlate, different forms of physical activity that can be easily implemented throughout the day and an all in one enchilada casserole cooking demonstration. After performing exercises that would appear to be easy (i.e. leg lifts), the participants were exhausted and ready to eat. They were amazed at the enchilada casserole, stating that they couldn't believe how cheap and healthy the dish was because it tasted so good.

Aside from attending meetings and observing and teaching classes, I was tasked with developing the concept for a MyPlate Color Run for elementary school-aged children that would eventually be put into action. This task was challenging, but I combined my love for sports and my passion for nutrition; I was eager to see what I could develop. After much thought and many crumpled pieces of paper, I came up with a MyPlate Color Run that I was proud to share. This run combines a short lesson on MyPlate and physical activity with a fun filled run that resembles an obstacle course where teams of students answer questions about MyPlate at each station or perform a specific physical activity in order to place first and be crowned the MyPlate Champions.

In short, my UC CalFresh rotation was a great experience, but much too short with so many things to do and such a large community in need of nutrition education. During my time, I learned that every task, whether education or data entry, is important in order to increase the community's quality of life. Reflecting back on my two-weeks with this organization, I can tell that I have grown as an intern. As I continue on to my journey to become a registered dietitian, I will take my observations and the lessons I've learned with me.

 

 Fresno County's 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 rotation with UC CalFresh has been one of my very first community nutrition rotations in my dietetic internship. The nutrition education I previously provided was in a very different setting. Prior to starting this rotation, I knew very little about what UC CalFresh offers, however, my preceptors were wonderful at answering my questions, and their passion for their jobs really made me excited to spend two weeks learning from them.

One of my favorite parts of this rotation was going to the schools to observe and teach lessons to the kids. I was amazed at how knowledgeable the kids were about MyPlate and nutrition. To me, this was a reflection of the effectiveness of the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program. As I observed more lessons, I realized that the kids get really excited when the nutrition educators visit their classes because they make nutrition education so much fun by including games and songs in their lessons.

On the first day of my rotation I reviewed MyPlate with the kids and then sang and danced to the “MyPlate Shaky” with them. This was a lot of fun and the kids loved it! I really like that some form of physical activity is also incorporated into all of the lessons and that the importance of exercising each day is also stressed.

Haley teaching first graders at Yokomi about MyPlate

 

On this same day, part of the lesson was for the kids to build their own MyPlate. I like how this activity had the kids work in a group to help encourage teamwork and communication. It was great to hear the kids talk to each other about which foods fall into each food group and how to build a healthy meal.

I also loved observing and teaching part of the adult classes that the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program provides. One of my favorite adult classes was at Rescue the Children in Fresno, which was a combination of lessons three and four of the Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook (PSSC) curriculum. The nutrition educators did a great job with the lessons and I could tell that the participants responded really well to them. The participants were very engaged in the lesson and respectful to the educators.

I taught the physical activity portion of the class and showed them how to do a quick full-body stretch set. The participants really enjoyed the stretches and said that it helped them feel alert and more in the mood to exercise, especially since the class started early in the morning for them. I noticed that this group as a whole was much more invested in learning and they consistently participated in the activities.

The “Three Can Chili” recipe was the food demonstration that was presented on this day. The participants loved the idea of adding flavor to the chili with jalapeños, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder instead of using salt. They also enjoyed the whole wheat crackers that were served to compliment the chili. This class was also different than the two adult classes I had previously observed in that it was much smaller, with only six participants compared to 10-12 participants in the other classes.

First graders at Yokomi completing the MyPlate activity

 

I was asked by the nutrition educators throughout the week whether I preferred teaching the youth or adult lessons. I still haven't come to a conclusion whether I prefer one over the other because they both have great aspects that I personally enjoy. My favorite part of teaching children is their enthusiasm and excitement for learning. However, with children, it is important to explain nutrition in simpler terms that will make sense to them. One of my favorite parts of teaching the adult lessons was having the flexibility to give more descriptive and detailed explanations of the nutrition topics and be able to help them have a more in-depth understanding of how the food they consume affects their bodies.

Overall, my time during my rotation at UC CalFresh has showed me what a valuable program it is for its participants. One of the participants in the adult classes told the educators that the lessons made her realize that she wanted to pursue a career in the field of nutrition! This rotation has showed me first-hand the impact that community nutrition can make.