Increasing Awareness of Multicultural Nutrition Education Resources Available to The Head Start Program

Abstract

Federal Law mandates that nutrition delivery systems in the Head Start Program provide nourishing meals for enrolled preschoolers. In addition, nutrition education opportunities for the children, their families, and staff are required. Since diversity is a core value of the program, multicultural education is espoused. While the service of ethnically diverse foods at mealtimes has traditionally supported multicultural education in Head Start, classroom nutrition education activities have been less supportive. Since a multitude of early childhood teaching resources which target the food and culture connection are available, an initiative to increase Head Start Nutrition Coordinator awareness of their availability was initiated in an eight-state area. Methodology included compiling a listing of age-appropriate materials and teaching ideas relevant for teaching the concept of cultural diversity through food and nutrition. The listing is being disseminated to Nutrition Coordinators by either cluster training or in conjunction with video teleconferencing. The Coordinators are charged with subsequently training their respective teaching staffs in the rationale for multicultural nutrition education as well as use of the resource listing. To date, the training has been conducted in four states. Workshop evaluations have routinely rated the session “Very useful,” with “new information presented.” Follow-up assessment methodology will examine the ability of participants to cite examples of multicultural nutrition education activities at their programs which were initiated as a result of their involvement in the initiative.