Who may use this site?
- Undergraduate nutrition students and dietetic interns in Wisconsin
- Dietetics program faculty
- Community partners offering pre-professional experience in public health/community nutrition to undergraduate nutrition students and dietetic interns
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How does this process work?
This site helps students find a community nutrition or public health nutrition placement in the geographic area they specify, during the time period they are available, working in an area of nutrition that interests them. It also provides a way for community partners to "advertise" a specific project in need of a student, or an ongoing placement opportunity.
For example, a dietetics student may want to get volunteer experience working with older adults during their summer break. An agency that works with older adults may be looking for a student to lead a nutrition activity every Thursday at lunchtime for ten weeks. The student can browse the listings for their county, or browse all listings related to older adults. If they decide the lunchtime activity is a good match, the student can contact the agency to discuss the opportunity.
Some dietetics program faculty assign community placements to students. Faculty can search this site to create listings of all placements in their geographic area or to sort placements by certain criteria.
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How specific is the search?
The three most important criteria requested by students and placement agencies are location, availability (timing), and area of interest in community nutrition. Students and faculty can search on one or more of these criteria. As the database "fills up" more results will be returned for each query.
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What is required of students?
1. Know the requirements of your academic program. Consult your advisor and/or your program's website.
2. Know the requirements of the American Dietetic Association Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE) if you are planning a dietetic internship.
3. Be professional and follow through once you make a commitment. Whether you receive academic credit, volunteer experience, or payment for your work you should treat this placement seriously. The agency you work with is counting on you to complete the work you agree to do.
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What is the role of faculty?
This varies widely with each program. Some program faculty assign students to placements; others want to approve the choice of placement once the student has made contact with the agency. Other programs leave all the responsibility to the student. Volunteer work outside of course requirements may have less faculty involvement.
Faculty and Partnership for Public Health Nutrition (PPHN)Â members are responsible for recruiting new partners and helping community partners to enter their information in this database. Faculty will discuss placements with partners to ensure a good fit between the placement and the learning experience they desire for students.
Faculty will serve as liaison between community partners and students as needed. Faculty are encouraged to provide feedback on this website and its usefulness for their students.
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What kinds of public health/ community nutrition placements are appropriate?
A placement should help students:
Placement experiences vary in their expectations of students just as students vary in the skills and experience they bring to a placement. Please consider the following when planning a placement:
- What skills and how much experience must students have prior to the placement?
- What time commitment do you expect and on what sort of schedule?
A really great placement:
- has a workstation with computer available (if needed).
- orients the student to the site and coworkers, shows student who/where to go with questions if preceptor isn't available.
- includes regular meetings with the preceptor to answer questions, assess progress, etc.
- uses the student's higher-level skills; may include some clerical tasks but only in support of a more complex project.
- expects the student to work independently of the preceptor on a project, rather than job shadowing.
Examples:
- modifying, and testing, favorite ethnic recipes to reduce the sugar or fat content.
- conducting cooking demonstrations at farmers' markets.
- leading nutrition activities as part of a summer youth program.
- helping seniors complete the Nutrition Screening Initiative (or other survey tools) at senior dining sites.
- developing walk-by displays, brochures, or handouts for community centers, food pantries, etc.
- conducting telephone interviews as part of a community needs assessment.
- conducting the WI Fruit and Vegetable Audit.
- conducting food service sanitation and safety training at day care centers, summer camps, etc., or with kids in those same settings.
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Does the mentor or site supervisor need to be an RD?
New CADE standards for 2008 state that the mentor, preceptor or site supervisor needs to be qualified in that which they are supervising. An RD is not required. For further explanation, see the CADE section of the ADAÂ website, www.eatright.org.
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What do students hope to get out of this experience?
- a "real life illustration" of the material they learn in class
- experience with diversity
- a sense of whether a career in public health or community nutrition is right for them
- skills they can use in a future job
- the feeling that they have "made a difference" and have "done something worthwhile"
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What can community partners expect to get out of this experience?
- progress on a project that furthers your program or agency's mission
- access to current, fresh ideas and information about nutrition science and technology
- satisfaction from playing an important role in developing future public health/ community nutrition professionals
- improved visibility with dietetics students - your future employees and colleagues
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How is confidentiality handled on this site?
Listings submitted by community partners are collected in a database that may be searched by any Junior or Senior dietetics student at the six undergraduate programs, dietetic interns at Wisconsin programs, and faculty at those programs, and other community partners, provided they have a site login.
If a student finds a placement of interest to them, they are responsible for contacting the agency by phone or email and discussing the opportunity. It is recommended that students download the Student Information Form, complete it offline, and email the form to the agency. This form provides information to the agency about the student's prior experience and goals, information that agencies find useful in planning what the student will do. Any personal information (address, phone number, etc.) is provided by the student, not by way of the website.
Online evaluations of the website will be anonymous. Dietetics programs and community placements may conduct other evaluations specific to their needs.
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What else do students need to know?
Liability
Students are responsible for their actions and behavior. If a student causes injury to, or damages to the property of another person or entity, she/he may be held liable. Students should check with the organization with which they are working to learn more about the liability coverage they may provide.
Background Checks
Schools and most programs serving children and youth will require potential volunteers to undergo a criminal background screening.
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