Dear students,
SPRING 2015 Research Action Workshop on Food Policy in East Harlem
COMHE 400.79(undergrad), PH 770.79(Masters) and PUB H 851(Doctoral)
Tuesdays 6-8 pm, Public Health Campus, 119th Street and Third Avenue
The NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College and CUNY School of Public Health are offering a course designed to engage students and community leaders in studying and taking action to reduce food insecurity and diet-related diseases in East Harlem and other
low-income urban communities. The course will assist participants to design and carry out a research action project that will identify and describe a food problem facing the residents of East Harlem, analyze the policy and other causes of the problem and,
with appropriate community and research partners, propose and take action to solve this problem. The course is open to undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral students and to community leaders and activists. Community organizations whose staff or members participate
in the course will receive a stipend to defray costs. Students may choose to continue the work they begin in this course in field placements, independent study or dissertation research in summer or Fall 2015. This course will build on the findings from
the 2014 class.
At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the components of East Harlem's food system and analyze the role they play in contributing to food in/security and diet-related diseases, providing adequate nutrition, promoting economic development and advancing environmental sustainability.
2. Explain how various sectors (e.g., housing, transportation, public welfare, business, education, health care, employment) interact with the food sector and influence its impact on well-being.
3. Analyze global, national, state and municipal policies that influence East Harlem's food system.
4. Identify local and municipal organizations that have the potential to influence East Harlem's food system.
5. Recommend policies and programs that can improve East Harlem's food system.
The instructors are Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health and Faculty Director of the NYC Food Policy Center and Nevin Cohen, Associate Professor of Health Policy at the CUNY School of Public Health. Other researchers, practitioners
and activists will present their work. Students wanting approval to take the course should submit a short statement describing their interest in the course, their experience in East Harlem or similar communities and in food policy or food advocacy. Enrollment
is limited and students will be selected based on prior experiences and the need for a diverse group of students to achieve class objectives. Send applications or inquiries by November 5 to Diana Johnson ([log in to unmask])
, Director of Community Projects, NYC Food Policy Center. We’ll get back to applicants in time for registration.