We are proud to announce that our proposal "Expanding Experiential Education and Community Engagement in Service of the Social Determinants of Health in Newark” was awarded by the Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health (REACH) Initiative.
Food security – ensuring access to the right quantity of affordable, nutritious food – is a major issue in Newark, where nearly 1 in 4 live beneath the poverty level and access to fresh, healthy food can be limited. The impact of food insecurity as a social determinant of human health is profound.
This project is the continuation of a second-round REACH collaboration between Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation and Newark Science and Sustainability Inc. Focusing on increasing healthy food access, nutritional education programs, and community engagement, our work to date has promoted healthy eating, healthy living practices, and environmental education.
The new project includes:
- Expanding the number and length of experiential education opportunities for Rutgers student interns
- Creating new opportunities for previous Rutgers interns and graduate student volunteers to serve as mentors
- Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to produce robust outcome measurements and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to direct resources for future sustainability