Ann Bliss, Community Development Leader at Nazareth Catholic Community talks about the partnership with our discipline. Nazareth Catholic Community R-12 has been in partnership with Flinders University Nutrition and Dietetics (FUND) to offer Community & Public Health placements since 2016 and it is definitely a ‘win-win’ arrangement.
Our community serves families across the lifespan offering early education and care, primary and secondary education and a range of integrated community services from playgroups, parent education, wellbeing and social justice initiatives, a young adults group and our Wise Owls program for the older members of our community.
By offering placements we are able to tap into the knowledge, skills and expertise of the students and their Flinders supervisor to develop and implement nutrition initiatives and resources that supports our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our whole community.
Some examples have included a healthy food fundraising guide trialled by year 8 – 12 students in our Justice and Ministry Group, resources for families in our Early Childhood Centre on fussy eating and the transition to solids, a review of foods sold in school canteens as part of a community engagement campaign to adopt the Right Bite strategy, developing R – 7 lesson plans for teachers in Health and Physical Education curriculum, presentations to parents on Healthy Nude Food Lunch box ideas, an innovative and interactive presentation to Year 1 students on the five food groups a presentation to the Leadership Team on the Right Bite strategy and a presentation to our Wise Owls on healthy eating on a budget.
It is our aim to offer the students a rich and valuable experience in a welcoming and supportive environment that allows them to develop the skills and experiences required in this community placement. Our other university partnerships mean that the Nutrition and Dietetic students work alongside Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy students placed at Nazareth that allows for cross-disciplinary professional conversations and learning. We are committed to this ongoing partnership.
