Wellness Wednesday: Community Nutrition Education

Wellness Wednesday is a interdisciplinary health education program for residents of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) funded by the Area Health Education Center. The program aims to provide knowledge and resources to support healthy lifestyles within an underserved population. An original nutrition education curriculum has been developed as part of this program. Group activities, cooking demonstrations, and education materials have been integrated into the curriculum. The topics for discussion were determined by the residents; therefor presentations were catered to specific concerns of the population. The materials have been presented at three different AMHA buildings each month for six total months. At the end of each presentation, residents evaluated their experience using a questionnaire survey. The final product of this project is a nutrition education curriculum that can be utilized for future dietetics students working within the community. In all, the Wellness Wednesday education program has shown the potential to impact the health and lifestyles of Akron community members and guide them towards healthier lives