Community Engagement

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CENTER FOR COMMUNITY NUTRITION

Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are on the rise in Utah, across the nation, and abroad. Community-based education on lifestyle changes—including weight loss, healthy diet, and exercise—has proven remarkably effective in preventing or significantly delaying onset of these diseases for people who have access.

Since starting in 2014, the University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition (UCCN) has provided targeted nutrition education and diabetes prevention programming for those as highest risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, reaching over 230,000 individuals across the Mountain West.

In addition to providing free programming in schools and to community groups, we advance research in community, school, and policy interventions by designing and implementing novel ways of interacting with families, schools, and community members.

Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in the volunteering with the University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition. We are a public service center that provides comprehensive education outreach to middle and high school students, medically underserved populations, college students, and families experiencing homelessness.

We provide volunteers with training to teach and inspire participants in our programs to incorporate healthy eating into their daily lives.

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FAMILY FOOD MATTERS

The Family Food Matters program is a series of workshops that cover three topics: child nutrition, family movement, and creating a healthy home environment. Workshops are taught by registered dietitians and can include food demonstrations or snacks. Kids are welcome to attend. These workshops are a weight-inclusive space, where caregivers can benefit from peer-support and discuss ways to enhance true wellbeing that do not include weight loss or dieting. Check out the website below to learn more and request a workshop for your parenting group or school.

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Family Movement Video

Healthy Eating Video

Healthy Home Video

CRUSH Diabetes

The CRUSH Diabetes program encourages healthy behaviors in middle school students. The curriculum is offered at no cost to teachers and is an online course with three learning modules:

Diabetes 101
Nutrition Basics
Physical Activity

Each module has a presentation slide deck, content videos, and student worksheets. Aligned with the Utah, Idaho, and Arizona school board standards for middle school students, our curriculum was designed to meet teachers’ online learning needs and state standards.

Click below to register for free access.

UUCCN Team Thrive

Team Thrive

Team Thrive is a behaviorally-based diabetes prevention program for high school students designed to fulfill certain Utah Core Health Education II Standards for Nutrition. This dynamic curriculum is both engaging for students and simple to teach.

During the Team Thrive unit, students will collaborate on 3 goals:

Increase physical activity
Reduce sugar sweetened beverage consumption
Increase fruit and vegetable intake

Some of the fun student activities include taking pictures of meals and physical activities, working as a team to create “life hacks” to include more fruits & vegetables and less sugar in the diet, as well as social media to demonstrate what they’ve learned throughout the lesson. 

Research found that students who received the Team Thrive curriculum slowed their rate of weight gain, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increased steps per day compared to control group who received an ordinary Utah high school nutrition curriculum.

National Science Foundation CIVIC Innovation Grant U.U. IFARM Hub Research Project. University of Utah Investigators: Shannon Jones, Sarah Canham, Paul Estabrooks, Julie Lucero, and Jeff Rose. Civic Investigators: Lynnette Burn, James Loomis, Sarah Strang.

Food, Movement, & You

Food, Movement, & You is a free diabetes prevention and nutrition education program for individuals and families facing homelessness. Research shows that a majority of people experiencing homelessness have low nutrition security, which means they lack access to required amounts of nutritionally adequate food. High rates of diet-related chronic diseases are also common in people experiencing homelessness.

To address these issues, we collaborate with many local organizations and service providers to increase access to healthful foods, from directly providing local organic produce to emergency pantries and shelters to running on-site gardening clubs to assist children, youth, and their parents learn to grow and prepare nutritious foods.

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Collage

Culinary Medicine

This course teaches students the basics of evidence-based nutrition as it relates to the real-world problem of food. It goes beyond macro and micronutrients to analyze how nutrition translates into real food choices and reasonable patient advice regarding what, when, why, and how to eat. Culinary Medicine takes place in a teaching kitchen, where students prepare and enjoy meals while discussing the science of nutrition and how to help patients make health behavior change.

Students who have completed the Culinary Medicine program have the opportunity to lead culinary medicine cooking classes in the community. These community classes aim to provide hands-on nutrition education and practical culinary skills for populations experiencing high disease risk. Not only do these experiences enhance the learning experience of future health professionals, they also positively impact the health outcomes of community members.

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A Larry H. Miller Family Wellness Initiative

Driving Out Diabetes (DODI)

In partnership with the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, University of Utah Health has launched an interdisciplinary initiative to battle diabetes in the state of Utah and across the region through education and prevention outreach, innovations in clinical care, and cutting-edge research. Learn more by visiting their website.

DODI