The Golden Eagle Nutrition Education (GENE) program offers personalized nutrition sessions by Cal State LA Nutritional Science students. Coaches teach nutrition, mindfulness, and habit change, providing individual feedback and encouragement.
172 students participated.
The Golden Eagle Nutrition Education (GENE) program fosters community engagement at Cal State LA through lifelong nutrition practices. Trained coaches help clients improve their nutrition by addressing barriers, discussing food choices, and promoting a non-diet, body-inclusive approach. GENE creates a positive impact within the community, potentially influencing families and other communities.
The GENE program shows high engagement at Cal State LA but lacks data on community engagement.
Limitations include being offered only via Zoom and no feedback on Zoom vs. in-person sessions. Additionally, there are no questions providing deeper insight into community engagement.
GENE highlights students' eagerness to connect and improve well-being, aligning with Recreation's mission. It demonstrates the impact of co-curricular experiential learning, with mentors gaining real-world skills, mentees receiving relevant nutrition information, and the Recreation department connecting participants with resources. GENE can increase engagement if approached correctly.
To address the low survey response rate, we will adjust post-session survey methods by remaining on the Zoom call until surveys are completed. This change will be proposed to the faculty overseeing the GENE program for the FA 2024 semester.