This course deals with food, nutrition, and health among urban minority populations in the USA. Particular attention is paid to early adolescence as the age period when diets and food intake patterns of the adult are set, and when nutrition-related conditions which are more prevalent among urban minorities – especially obesity – become manifest. This course is organized around the principles of academically-based community service, which seeks to integrate the academic, service, and research missions of a university. All students will participate in the Turner Nutritional Awareness Project (TNAP), an ongoing program which seeks to enhance the nutritional status of the Turner students, and the community served by the school, by helping idividuals make informed decisions.

Participation in TNAP will be effected by students working in teams on specific projects at Turner in consultation with teaching assistants and, as appropriate, Turner staff. Sign-up sheets will available the first day of class. These projects are:

1. Teaching basic principles of food, nutrition, and health to Turner students; 3-10 students, working in pairs, will develop age- and culture-appropriate lesson plans which will be utilized with small groups (6-8) of Turner students. 5 pairs will teach one hour per week for the semester. Lesson plans will be presented to and discussed by 3-10 students as part of their weekly class sessions. These plans will also be discussed with Turner staff.

2. Formative research on community needs, nutritional status, available resources; 4 students will work throughout the semester developing an assessment of needs, a survey of nutritional status, knowledge, and attitudes, and a characterization of the dietary intake of Turner students. This phase of TNAP will utilize the principles of participatory action research, with consultation and input from school students, staff, and parents. Data collected will be quantitative and qualitative (ethnography, focus groups).

3. Vegetable garden; 2 students will work with Turner staff and students in a project oriented around planning and tending a small vegetable garden at the school.

4. School ; 5 students will work with the school store, which is run by Turner students and which seeks to enhance the intakes of fruits and vegetables among Turner students, staff, and parents.

5. Dissemination of TNAP; 4 students will work on a public health campaign to promulgate TNAP in the community and to disseminate its activities and findings to the community and the university. Promotional materials will be displayed at Turner, information will be provided for parents, discussions will be held with local merchants, etc.

The 3 components of academically-based community service will be covered as follows:

-Academic; the class sessions will be devoted to presenting and discussing theories and methods relevant to the problem of the health of urban populations, with particular emphasis on nutrition. Class sessions will also be used for the presentation and discussion of interim reports, and of final team presentations.

-Research; information gained from the formative research and from ongoing monitoring of TNAP will be analyzed, synthesized, and presented to the class. Principles of research design will also be discussed.

-Service; the primary purpose of TNAP is to enhance health behaviors of the the Turner community by helping its members make informed choices. All activities are aimed first at the service component, and second at the learning that is accomplished through the provision of service.

This is an intensive course which requires the full participation of each student.

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