Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 22 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Cooking for Life - Vermont, USA

0 comments
In 2001, the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (VTCECH) and the University of Vermont Extension's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) launched a programme in an effort to influence Vermont families' diets and to teach families to shop for, and cook, healthy foods. The programme is designed to reduce the hunger of children in families living on limited budgets. Separate programmes offer young participants - and their parents - the skills they need to make healthy food choices through hands-on preparation of nutritious meals. Cooking for Life works with host agencies to offer the programme series in communities across the state.
Communication Strategies
In a series of six two-hour classes, 10 to 15 participants receive hands-on instruction in meal planning, budgeting, shopping, and cooking from area chefs and nutrition educators. Participants include pregnant women, teens, and parents of young children living at or below 185% of poverty level. Each lesson includes nutrition information and a cooking demonstration. After each class, participants are given the ingredients of the meal they learned to prepare so that they can practice their new cooking skills at home. Participants also receive a binder containing all the handouts and recipes used throughout the series of classes. Volunteers are central to this programme. Chefs volunteer their services, while others go food shopping, provide childcare, and prepare ingredients for class.

To cite one specific example, in March 2003 St. Johnsbury, Vermont Cooking for Life students prepared and served a free, healthy dinner to more than 300 people at a community event sponsored by BlueCross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBVT)'s Northeast Community Advisory Board. Students interacted with both their families and communities to prepare for and carry out the event.
Development Issues
Nutrition, Poverty, Youth.
Key Points
Since its inception, Cooking for Life has taught 10 series of classes to more than 115 teens and 77 series of classes to over 750 low-income parents in communities throughout Vermont.
Partners

VTCECH, EFNEP.

Sources

Fine Points, A Newsletter from BlueCross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Volume 14, No. 3, Summer 2003; and VTCECH site.