Center of Excellence - Events

 

 

The Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness and Quality of Life participated in Scotlandville’s Kids fest on June 11, 2022. Families from all over Baton Rouge came out and participated in a day full of activities with food and fun. At our booth, children were able to demonstrate how to properly plant sunflowers and identify the different parts of the plant. We also connected with members of the community about several programs that we are offering this summer. Funding was provided by the Walmart Foundation Center for Racial Equity and the 1890 Universities Foundation. 

Photos from this event are available here

 

On March 21, 2023, day 2 of Ag Week, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center met with 9th grade students at the ASPIRE Career fair. SUAREC showed students the dangers of smoking, introduced them to healthier lifestyles and gave them nutritious treats.

Photos from the event are available here

 

On January 31, 2023, we partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to host the first of a series of listening sessions hosted by USDA’s Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health). The session gathered a diverse audience of local community members, partners, and leaders, where they were able to discuss how the community at large deals with food, the misinformation about it, and the lack of access to healthy choices. It was a well-attended event of power-packed information and a great continued effort at bridging the gap between diet, nutrition, and health issues in the community and what can be accomplished through a collective effort between USDA and the Southern University Ag Center.

Photos from the event are available here

 

This spring semester, the Walmart Health Disparity Scholars at N.C. A&T worked collaboratively with the NCAT Pathway 2 Human Lactation Training Program and clinic on creating informational videos to educate nursing mothers as they complete their intake forms. The videos addressed the following topics:

  • Key Vitamins and Minerals for Breastfeeding
  • Breastfeeding Benefits for Babies
  • Breastfeeding Benefits for Mothers
  • Nutritional Considerations for Breastfeeding Mothers
  • Nutrition during pregnancy

The videos have been submitted for further review and should be updated on nursing mothers’ intake forms sometime during the summer. Meanwhile, the group prepared educational flyers that focused on nutrition for nursing mothers. The scholars also toured the clinic and gained insight into its operation.

Additionally, the scholars met with the director of the Greensboro Urban Ministry Partnership Village, a transitional housing community for individuals and families rebuilding self-sufficiency after experiencing homelessness (www.greensborourbanministry.org), to develop ways in which the team can promote healthy eating patterns in their residents. The scholars led a presentation that gave an overview of functional foods and their benefits to the village residents on the day that they received food from the distribution center. Nursing students from Elon University were also there to provide blood pressure and blood sugar checks for the residents, coordinating with the scholars so more residents were reached.

Photos from the event are available here

 

Our Center of Excellence participated in the Live Well Baton Rouge Health Fair. This event was sponsored by Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. They provided FREE CANCER SCREENINGS for breast, colorectal, prostate and skin. Our Center provided nutrition ed handouts and allowed participants to customize their own parfaits.  

 Photos from the event are available here

 

Our Center of Excellence participated in the Adjusting Our Lenses 2023 host by Spirit of Truth International Ministries, Humana & State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle. The healthfair was geared towards students having a safe and healthy summer. The event had various vendors that were able to interact and elaborate about their programs with families in the communities. 

 Photos from the event are available here

 

On May 24th the Center of Excellence participated in the Know your number: Blood Pressure Awareness health fair in Lafayette, La. The health fair provided free blood pressure checks and community resources. Our Center provided resources on various ways to reduce waste, tips for dining out, and gave out MyPlate incentives to participants. 

 Photos from the event are available here

 

 

On June 10th the Center of Excellence participated in the Kidsfest 2023 Fair.  We helped organize a kid's scavenger hunt with Scotlandville CDC. We also set up a booth giving hands-on demonstrations on how to develop starter plants. We were able to give away over 50 bell pepper starter plants to participants.  While also explaining the process of transplanting their plant and proper care.

 Photos from the event are available here

 

The Center of Excellence partnered with Jagcation to do a hands-on food safety presentation with the students. We discussed cross-contamination and ways to prevent hazards in the kitchen. The students were able to create their own personal pizza while practicing skills learned. 

 Photos from the event are available here

 

Through a collaboration with Southern Universities COE, Scottlandville CDC, and the SULC Children and Family Law Society, students in the Scotlandville community are now able to take part in a free gardening education and tutoring program

We completed our first official day on August 19th. Students assisted with park cleanup and bed clearance at Scotlandville CDC. Additionally, the kids participated in icebreaker activities and had a discussion with the parents about what to anticipate going forward. Join us on Saturday, September 2 from 10am-12pm at 1920 Goudchaux St!

Photos from the event are available here

 

The Center of Excellence and SNAP-Ed Nutrition Program went into the freshman dorms and provided a free nutrition class to the students. Students were taught how to make healthy “dorm-friendly” meals as well as given free “mini” parfaits.

Photos from the event are available here

 

The first SU Together class was held by our Center of Excellence on October 3, 2023. Students were given a brief overview of the program and the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. The students took part in a hands-on cooking demonstration where they made acai bowls.

 Photos from the event are available here

 

On October 11, 2023, the Center of Excellence presented at the Seeds to Success: Louisiana Farm to School Conference. Cornelius Jackson, our Extension Area Agent/ garden expert, gave a presentation on the accomplishments of the three community gardens housed under our Center. Mrs. Fitzgerald, Ag teacher at Westdale Middle and Mr. Jackson also spoke of the partnership between Westdale Middle School and Southern University's Center of Excellence for Nutrition, Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life.

If interested in contacting Cornelius Jackson, please email Cornelius_jackson@suagcenter.com or call 225.963.6356.

Photos from the event are available here

 

On November 17th, SU Dietetic Interns led a hands-on, two-part food demonstration and nutrition education session covering Myplate and Basic Food Safety regulations for Southern University Lab fourth and fifth graders. They made an apple pie in a cup, infused water, and a salad consisting of five food groups. This project was a collaboration between the Center of Excellence for NHWQL, the SU Dietetic Internship, and the SU SNAP-Ed nutrition education program.

Photos from the event are available here

 

 

The Center of Excellence collaborated with Mental Health Specialist, Ashlyn Harrison, on the “Fuel your Future: Vision Party”. This vision party provided students with the opportunity to goal set for their future in addition to learning the importance of how they should fuel their bodies by prioritizing healthy eating habits. Lastly, kudos to our students for making this event a success! 

Photos from the event are available here

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