Our blog writers are embarking on a quest to interview nutrition educators working for Cornell Cooperative Extension across New York State.
Each educator has a unique perspective on their work, and how their work has influenced their own life choices. Healthy eating and living is a shared goal of the blog, our writers, these educators, and the nutrition programs they represent. It is our hope that these interviews will inspire, motivate, and celebrate the benefits of healthy choices.
The educator spotlight interviews will appear roughly once a month. Enjoy reading!
Meet Tina!
Tina Snyder is an Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) nutrition educator housed at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. Tina has served on the CCE team for 32 years and continues to provide high quality education to community members of Tompkins County through the EFNEP program. Tina has shared knowledge and observation opportunities to the Day to Day Eats blog authors.
One door closes as another door opens…
I did not have any formal education prior to being part of EFNEP. I discovered EFNEP because I was a participant of the program. This allows me to have both a participant and educator perspective on the program.
I previously worked as a licensed cosmetologist. But not for very long, I had to quit my lifelong dream job because I was allergic to a chemical that was used in my position. I was sad, but at the same time it opened other doors.
How did you become interested in nutrition? Here
When I was 21, I just had a baby, I was very overweight and had high blood pressure. That was not something I wanted, and I was fully aware that was not something that was going to be sustainable for life.
I grew up with a single mom and we were poor and ate low quality food. I began working with a EFNEP nutrition educator as a participant. Once the nutrition educator had started explaining things to me it opened my eyes to nutrition and the importance of it. Prior to that, my biggest concern was just having a full belly and not feeling hungry. I really wanted to do the best for my family and my new child. That was really what really got me interested in nutrition and caring about my health and the health of my family.
A day in the life of a Nutrition Educator
When I began this job, we did a lot more home visits, but over the years it has transitioned into more group education.
I work frequently with local collaborators to organize, develop, and set up times to do series education with participants that fit our guidelines. In between that, I am food shopping, planning, and then delivering the programs.
Typically, I would say it takes at least double the time to plan as it does to do the workshop. For instance, if I were doing a two-hour workshop including hands-on cooking preparation, it would take about four hours to put that together. A few days prior to doing those classes, I would be getting my equipment organized. This includes copying the participant handouts and shopping for the food. Then going to the location or if it is a cooperative extension, setting up the kitchen in which I usually show up an hour early no matter where I am going, because you never know what the state of the facility will be. I have walked into some horrific kitchen messes before and had to do some cleanup. I would then do the workshop and then clean up. After the workshop, I complete the EFNEP paperwork for the class.
Successful Program Delivery
Through EFNEP, one of the training opportunities that they developed since I have been here is the called Navigating for Success (NFS). At first, I think all of us (educators) were a little skeptical because we had been creating and developing and making up visuals and props.
NFS training made our lives a little easier because it provided us a framework from which to conduct business. Positive outcomes came from our families when we began using teaching techniques taught in NFS as opposed to using lecturer style of teaching.
Do you think that the needs of the participants have changed over the 32 years that you have been working with them?
Sadly, I think the needs have stayed the same. Fewer people have cooking skills and are relying on convenience foods because that is what is out there and cheap. Eating healthy can be very cheap, but you must put a little effort into it.
Parents want the best for their kids, but they may have been raised eating a lot of convenience foods and do not see a way out.
Feeding ourselves is very elementary and if you have the right knowledge and skills, it can be easy.
Meeting the Complex Health Needs of Participants
One thing that we are doing in Tompkins County and that started as a result COVID was a project in our hospital called Healthy Living Partnership. The program refers participants who are underinsured or not insured at all by connecting them with community resources that can help them improve their health through nutrition. I think if we could get more physicians to see the value of nutrition and what we have to offer, it would do a lot of things. It would help cut down the cost of medical care and help with preventative actions, and particularly if people could make small life-long changes that prove to be huge. I know this firsthand because I have always been overweight for my height, but I made changes through nutrition and physical activity and my blood pressure went back to normal very quickly.
Do you think the EFNEP mission is still relevant today?
Absolutely. Trying to uplift people and help them make meals with limited resources. All those things within the mission are very relevant and I think they will continue to be relevant, especially now with more people out of work and are food insecure. They have never had to go stand in a food pantry line. People really need the support our program can offer.
