Presenter: Jenna Tognola, Dietetics, Global Public Health Scholars
For the Global Public Health Scholars Program, my practicum project was with Kids Kitchen Inc., which is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and delivers nutrition education to engage children in healthy eating habits and teach them cooking skills with practical and simple nutrition messages. It was an internship teaching experience that I started fall of 2019. I was placed in Joann Leleck Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland. I was tasked with developing lesson plans, shopping, and executing my plans with demonstration and hands-on cooking lessons. The overarching goal of my practicum project ties into global public health because I am teaching my students how to make healthy recipes to give them skills they can take as they grow up to develop a healthy lifestyle which will have a positive impact on their health outcomes.
Hi Dr. Maring,
Thank you for these kind words of encouragement on my presentation. I really loved the opportunity to combine Global Public Health and dietetics in my project. I also appreciate your question. I do wish there was something the program had evaluation tools to measure the change over time. I can only speak anecdotally form experience. It is a good idea to have a tool to measure student responses to food to see growth throughout the program. I am hopeful that even though the pandemic put a wrench in the afterschool program that my students still had the opportunity to learn during this spring semester and that would have a lasting impact on their health outcomes individually and…
Hi Megan,
Thank you for your kind words about my practicum project. Thank you for sharing the experience you have had with obesity and sharing how you have learned the importance of making healthy food choices—that is very encouraging to hear. I really loved working with my kids, it has been hard that the schools are closed in Montgomery County, so we have not been able to do cooking class in a while, and I really miss my students. Also thank you for your kind words about my adaptations to the challenges I faced, it allowed me to be very creative and problem-solve in order to better serve this community. Thanks again.
Best,
Jenna
Excellent presentation. Taking on food swamps is a great goal addressing an insidious problem in poor communities. Your project highlights risk factors for obesity and NCDs and how nutrition, dietetics and public health are entwined. You note that the experience being with students for a year provided opportunity for you to see learning in action. Does the program/school have evaluation tools to measure change over time? I imagine you would see lasting impact to the good work you are doing, Jenna.
Your experience teaching at a local elementary school is very interesting. As someone who has personally struggled with obesity, I understand the importance of making healthy and sustainable food choices. The passion you have to educate underprivileged children in low resource areas basic nutrition and present them with healthy recipes to improve their own eating habits is quite admirable. I especially loved the creative adaptations you implemented when faced with challenges. Keep up the good work!