Dr. Debrah Palmer
This educational process was developed by Dr. Debrah Palmer for targeting nutrition education to limited resource adults, who meet in small groups. It was developed as a result of seven years of research with paraprofessional staff and has undergone extensive testing. The process utilizes the principles of adult learning theory, and is designed such that each step assists class participants in improving their food security status by sharing ways to improve their diet-related behaviors.
Before the First Class
- Supervisors and paraprofessionals meet with respective agencies and ensure that classes arranged:
- Will meet at least 6 time for at least 6 weeks, unless they are for the Department of Labor in which case the minimum is 4 rather than 6
- Will be 50% or more of the class participants being SNAP benefit eligible
- Will be between 4-15 participants
The First Class
- Paraprofessionals gather data to determine program participants' wants and needs. To do so they:
- Ask participants about the types of classes they would enjoy attending
- Have participants vote on the topics areas they are most interested in
- Guide participants in completing dietary recalls and behavioral checklists
After the First Class
- Paraprofessionals analyze data to determine program participants' wants and needs. To do so they:
- Review their notes about the types of classes their participants enjoy
- Determine which topic areas will be taught based on participants' topic area votes and the number of classes to be held. Usually, only 2-3 topic areas are selected, as a minimum of 2 lessons are done for each topic area to ensure behavior change
- Select behavioral inventories for each topic area that will be taught. These will be used at the second lesson to assess participants' current behaviors as they relate to the topic areas chosen, so that education can be appropriately targeted
- Analyze diet recalls to acquire additional insights about participants' current eating behaviors
- Print out diet recall analyses to be returned to participants at the second lesson
The Second Class
- Paraprofessionals introduce participants to the MyPyramid; review analyses of the single day "snap-shots" of their diets; and, encourage each to share some of their dietary problems and solutions with others in the class. They do so by:
- Showing a poster of the Food Guide Pyramid and teaching participants that daily they should eat: more of the foods from the bottom, less of the foods from the top, foods from each of the different groups, and different foods from within each group
- Returning participants' diet recall analyses and helping them compare their analyses to the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations
- Asking participants to each share a concern they have about their diets, in relationship to what they have learned, and facilitating a group discussion on suggestions to help resolve each individual's problems
- Administering behavioral inventory evaluations at least two topic areas that will be taught in upcoming classes
After the Second Class (Adults)
- Paraprofessionals analyze behavioral inventories and create a lesson plan for the remaining class sessions. They do so by:
- Examining behavioral inventories to determine what behaviors participants are doing well and what behaviors are in need of further attention
- Choosing lessons from the website, based on: behavioral objectives that correspond with participants' topic areas of interest, behaviors that participants are willing to work on, and dietary concerns that have become evident
The Remaining Classes
- Paraprofessionals teach the lessons that they have identified in their lesson plan. All lessons are state approved, and are taught exactly as written. Lessons are:
- Found on this web site
- Behaviorally-focused
- Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
(http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines) - Learner-driven and encourage use of the Empowerment Model
- Keep participants actively engaged and finding solutions that fit their own unique needs
- Limit Community Assistant lecture time to no more than 10 consecutive minutes, and are often grounded in facilitation
- Bring attention to any concerns or needed modifications that should be noted when working with each particular target audience
The Last Class
- In addition to the planned lesson, paraprofessionals collect outcome data and recognize participants who have attended the minimum number of classes expected for their participation. This is accomplished by:
- Teaching a brief lesson or a single activity from a longer lesson
- Collecting diet recall and behavioral checklist data; only because checklist are collected 4 week classes
- Giving a certificate to each participant who attended at least six classes