The project will engage VISTA members in developing a youth advocacy program that serves the students and families at IDEA Public Schools (IDEA) in the Rio Grande Valley. VISTAs will enhance the current outreach of the IDEA's Child Nutrition Program (CNP) to students and families by creating opportunities for them to identify their communities' health education needs, gather key health indicators, plan health-promoting strategies, mobilize teams of advocates, and create lasting systems for CNP/community partnerships.
The project goals are to 1) identify effective avenues for health promotion in Rio Grande Valley communities, 2) increase student wellness and thereby decrease the long-term health risks associated with obesity, 3) engage students in promoting healthy behaviors in their schools and local communities, 4) involve parents and families in both teaching and learning about healthy living, 5) establish campus-based Wellness Committees consisting of students, family members, faculty, and Child Nutrition staff.
VISTAs will work on project elements that may include recruiting and mobilizing parent volunteers on behalf of student wellness, organizing focus groups to solicit student and family input on existing and proposed health initiatives, and empowering students to research about and advocate for better health. VISTAs may also do work developing community volunteer programs for campus gardens, recruiting community members to lead adult education opportunities about affordable healthy-living ideas, developing health fairs that include community organizations, and facilitating the creation of sustainable Wellness Committees that will eventually take over the project management on each campus. VISTAs will learn about many aspects of public health advocacy including improving access to and acceptance of fresh foods for low-income families, developing networks for peer education, marketing positive behaviors, and identifying barriers to healthy living.
Please direct any questions to Steven Nguyen at svnguyen3@gmail.com. He would be more than happy to talk about the position.
