Bridging the gaps between ecology and nutrition: a middle school–university collaboration

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines the design and evaluation of a novel, cross-institutional, classroom-based nutrition intervention program created by a seventh grade science teacher and a university instructor. The collaborative project centered around a unique curriculum-based objective as well as an extracurricular aim for each class. Undergraduates taking the community dietetics course designed, facilitated, and evaluated a tailored, community nutrition intervention. Seventh graders explained how organisms in a biome depend on the available biotic and abiotic resources, and how matter cycles continually among organisms and the physical environment. Additionally, the collaboration aimed to synergistically enhance all students’ academic experience by nurturing dietetics students’ cultural competence as well as by encouraging seventh graders to simultaneously explore their nutrition-related attitudes and make connections among diet and food webs. Following the experience, undergraduates reported that the project positively contributed to their personal growth, civic engagement, and overall academic experience. Seventh graders’ post-project discussions revealed confusion and roadblocks adolescents face related to healthy eating. The results of this study indicate that cross-institutional collaborations provide meaningful experiences within the undergraduate dietetics curriculum and that small-group discussions focused on identifying students’ confusion and barriers can guide health educators to creating relevant and engaging programs for youth.