Real-world experience is one of the best ways for students to learn about health disparities in their own communities.
That is why Three Sisters Kitchen, a non-profit food space in downtown Albuquerque, established a partnership with The University of New Mexico's College of Population Health (COPH) to integrate student fieldwork projects into their community-based programs.
Three Sisters Kitchen offers a variety of spaces to meet the needs of our community. These include a professional test kitchen, a community classroom, and a local cafe in Explora Children's Museum. Through these spaces, they provide cooking and nutrition education, support local food entrepreneurs in developing their businesses, and create opportunities for community members to access affordable local food.
Three Sisters Kitchen also runs evidence-based health programs, hosts community cooking classes, and provides commercial kitchen space for food businesses.
The model allows for building long-term community connections around health and economic development.
Lisa Chen is Community Health Programs Director and registered dietician at Three Sisters Kitchen. She says working with COPH Bachelor of Science in Population Health (BSPH) Capstone and Master of Public Health (MPH) Practicum students has been a positive experience. The partnership allows students to apply their academic knowledge in community-focused settings.
Students who participate in the program typically work both remotely and on-site at Three Sisters Kitchen. They assist in helping with Three Sisters Kitchen food distribution programs, placing them in direct contact with community members who are seeking nutritional assistance. Students also help support live cooking classes at Three Sisters Kitchen. While working remotely on collaborative projects with Three Sisters Kitchen, students help to develop ideas for local health education campaigns and examine local health data to better understand community needs. Students may also contribute to the Three Sisters Kitchen ReFresh newsletter, which features community resources, recipes, and topics such as agriculture and nutrition.
“Students draft nutrition-related materials including handouts, newsletters, and presentations. They are also assigned to lead different classes such as cooking classes, diabetes prevention focuses classes, and themed workshops based on student's topic interest.”
Students are also involved in several of Three Sisters Kitchen’s community health programs like the ReFresh Healthy Food Access Program which are all aimed at expanding community access to healthy food and a healthy lifestyle.
The collaboration between Three Sisters Kitchen and COPH benefits both parties. Students gain practical experience in community nutrition, outreach, and teaching, while the community receives support and fresh perspectives from the students.
“Three Sisters Kitchen values community very much,” Chen says. “We know we wouldn’t exist without the support of our diverse community members, local organizations, and local leadership. We are trying our best to make meaningful impacts on our local community by supporting families with access to local produce, providing nutrition education in diabetes prevention, promoting physical activity, building cooking confidence with youth, providing training opportunities to small food entrepreneurs, providing fun cooking workshops for people to learn and share food stories together, and more!”
As this partnership continues, it provides a model for collaboration between academic institutions and community organizations focused on helping the community combat food insecurity and health disparities.
By combining classroom learning with practical application, the program aims to prepare students for future challenges in public health while contributing to community health initiatives.