December 3, 2001
Nutrition Service Project, A Student-Run Volunteer Program at Penn State, Receives National Award
Tarrytown, New York, The Dannon Institute has recognized the Nutrition Service Project, a student-run volunteer program at The Pennsylvania State University, as one of four most innovative and impactful programs in community nutrition education and communication in the country today. The program was named a winner in the fourth annual Dannon Institute Awards for Excellence in Community Nutrition®, a national awards program created to celebrate the accomplishments of local nutrition programs that have made a positive and significant impact on residents in the communities which they serve.
"We hope that by recognizing and sharing the experience of these nutrition educators, we'll encourage others to undertake similar initiatives," said Nancy S. Wellman, Ph.D., R.D., FADA, Professor and Director, National Policy & Resource Center on Aging, Florida International University, and a member of the Dannon Institute Scientific Council. "Our goal is to have others learn from these programs and use them as a resource -- then develop or enhance projects that make a difference in their own communities, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of people nationwide." Dr. Wellman spoke at the awards presentation held during the American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Exhibition.
"Nutrition Service Project", a student-initiated, student-directed and student-run volunteer program at The Pennsylvania State University, was created to teach disadvantaged children in a rural Pennsylvania community about health and nutrition. Through this Project, college students are trained in the areas of nutrition education, child development, diversity and health promotion and education. National Service Project student members work with the local community members and teachers to identify health issues of the youth in that area and design their programs based on community needs. They then go into a community as a team, during their spring break, and apply what they've learned by teaching it to younger peers in grades 7-12. "The students involved in the Nutrition Service Project gain the experience of using an academic interest, applying it to community needs and helping solve social problems," commented Annina Burns, the Project's founder and a student at The Pennsylvania State University. Since the initiation of the Project, the group has contributed approximately 2,500 hours of volunteer service and reached 230 youth.
The Dannon Institute Awards for Excellence in Community Nutrition are given to programs that demonstrate innovation and impact in nutrition behavior change at the community level. Information on this and other Dannon Institute programs are available on-line at www.dannon-institute.org, via e-mail at dannon.institute@dannon.com or by telephone at (914) 366-5765.