(Re) Focus on Local Food Systems through Service Learning

AbstractRecent nutrition professional discourse has emphasized reintegration of food and society concepts into undergraduate programs currently entrenched in the intricacies of nutritional science. To reintroduce this macro-approach, a community–university partnership was developed to address the strengthening of local food systems to improve community food security. Service learning, an experiential pedagogical technique, allowed students to work with a community agency on a community defined problem and emphasized connection of classroom theory to real-world situations. Two courses integrated service learning opportunities for forty-seven students in eighteen projects that developed awareness-building and advocacy tools for community organizations. Evaluation of these course components included written reflections of the experience, shared learnings in classrooms, instructor reflections and community feedback. A thematic analysis organized these data into empowerment domains for community capacity development. Results indicated that service learning and community–university partnerships can be key tools for enabling empowerment of future nutrition professionals, while integrating food systems into courses.Keywords: service learningempowermentnutrition professional training Additional informationNotes on contributorsLaurie A. WadsworthLaurie A. Wadsworth is an associate professor at the Department of Human Nutrition, St. Francis Xavier University. Her academic work is influenced by over 12 years working in public health in Saskatchewan. Her teaching and professional interests include food systems analysis, global food insecurity, health advocacy for policy development, community health frameworks and qualitative research methods. Laurie's research and professional service aim to inform social and health policy directions and to effect change in education and training of health professionals. Department of Human Nutrition, St. Francis Xavier University, Box 5000, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada (lwadswor@stfx.ca).Christine JohnsonChristine Johnson is an assistant professor at the Department of Human Nutrition, St. Francis Xavier University. She is actively involved in research focused on approaches to addressing food insecurity including mapping food security status, food access and food security assets in the local community. This work has been used to incorporate service learning components into undergraduate honors degree thesis projects. She has also incorporated service learning into course instruction. Department of Human Nutrition, St. Francis Xavier University, Box 5000, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada (cjohnson@stfx.ca).Colleen CameronColleen Cameron has worked internationally as a nurse in clinical, community and emergency relief work. She currently teaches and supervises nursing students in clinical settings and teaches courses in community development and health, gender and development, and gender and health for community development workers from countries of the South. Colleen incorporates service learning in a gender and health course for nursing students, which is cross-listed with women's studies. She has been co-Chair of Voices Antigonish, a volunteer advocacy group for food security, since its inception. Coady International Institute, Box 5000, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada (accamero@stfx.ca).Marla GaudetMarla Gaudet currently focuses on management of a community-based, experiential learning program where undergraduate university students from all disciplines have the opportunity to provide service to the community that is directly related to the field of study. Her research activities include investigation of the costs and benefits of service learning to the community, best practices for involving faculty members in service learning, and the use of student leaders to facilitate community-university partnerships. St. Francis Xavier University, Box 5000, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada (mgaudet@stfx.ca).

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