When Nutrition and Dietetics college students Rose Donepanya, Dottie Blanchard and Ruby Rivera had been tasked with making a diet schooling lesson, they took it personally.
“We are three minority females: Southeast Asian, African American and Hispanic,” stated Blanchard. “As minority college students, we seen the shortage of inclusion within the curriculum of dietetics, diet and wellness.”
Not solely did they pivot – taking an in-person lesson and shifting it to a digital format – they tackled an necessary matter they’ve skilled firsthand.
“We have made it our mission to teach ourselves, fellow friends, and college on being extra inclusive of dietary practices inside totally different ethnic teams,” Blanchard stated.
The college students created a podcast about elevating dietary illustration.
- Rose Donepanya
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- Ruby Rivera
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- Dottie Blanchard
“The discipline of diet and dietetics is like many well being care professions in that it lacks illustration,” stated Julie Patterson, assistant professor, within the School of Health Studies. “This group developed an modern podcast on an important matter – elevating dietary illustration.”
Patterson stated that with a purpose to improve our effectiveness as a occupation, the occupation must appeal to and retain a extra various workforce. This podcast opens up conversations on key points associated to addressing limitations that have prevented underrepresented people from getting into the occupation and discusses points associated to honoring tradition and heritage with respect to dietary practices.
“These college students have determined to construct upon their private experiences with getting into into the sphere and use this podcast in hopes of advocating for change,” Patterson stated. “I used to be moved by how they described their optimistic expertise at NIU, and the way it was fairly totally different than what they’ve skilled at different establishments with respect to range and inclusion.”
Donepanya stated the group discovered so much from creating the podcast, they usually hope others study from it too.
“This podcast has helped us analysis extra matters on inclusivity, rising cultural competence, and furthering moral approaches to the well being and human sciences discipline,” Donepanya stated. “We wish to additional educate these within the household and client well being fields to turn out to be extra conscious of cultural traditions, practices, and non secular backgrounds.”
Rivera agreed, including that by sharing their distinctive views and backgrounds within the dietary discipline, they hope to create a chance for dialogue.
“The matters lined in the podcast – together with sources supplied on our different social shops – try to educate and educate others,” Rivera stated. “Our aim is to encourage, empower, and produce consciousness to future Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) college students.”
Listen to the podcast on Raising Dietary Representation.
