Nutrition in Action: Service-Learning Project

Summary

Service-learning methodology (SL) combines training and community processes in a single project where participants are trained while working on real needs of the environment with the aim of improving it. This methodology enhances the professional skills of the students, their personal and competence development, and develops a deeper sense of civic responsibility.

The Human Nutrition and Dietetics Degree (ND) of the Faculty of Health and Welfare Sciences (FCSB) of the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia decided to incorporate this methodology, according to University's training model, with the aim of generating learning situations that allow them to act, reflect and solve problems based on significant learning. We applied SL in the subject of Food Education Strategies designing and implementing a small food education program with 1 contact to detect the needs of the users, and 3 educational sessions. The implementation of the SL is based on the SL guide proposed by the Service Learning Network of Catalan Universities and we make it with 4 local social entities.

The teacher responsible for the SL is coordinated with responsibles from entities who act as facilitators, authorizing the collection of data from the people of the entities, recruiting, informing and collecting the willingness to participate from the users.

We plan to study the experience of participating in the SL activity in terms of student acquisition of skills and satisfaction of all the parties involved, based on an observational study carried out during 4 academic years (2025-2029).

Through convenience sampling, a participation of 65 people is expected (20 students, 40 users, 5 responsible from entities).

Data collection plans to compile information on: a.Experience of the SL of the university student body. b. Assessments of the users and responsibles from entities on the impact, quality and satisfaction with the SL activity. c. Proposal for improving the SL activity with the entities using the rubric for self-assessment and improvement of SL projects.

Data collection will take place at the end of the activity using the REDCap platform (Research Electronic Data Capture) and the statistic analysis is planned using the SPSS statistical program.

Conditions

• Skills Acquisition
• Satisfaction

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Promotion a food habits

They develop the service learning project to promote a healthy food habits in diferent social organitzations of the territory. It consists to do an interview to identify nutritional educational needs, and do 3 nutritional workshops to participants from this organitzations. Each workshop has 1 hour, and is addreced to a small group of participants (8-15 maximum), always with the supervision of the professional of the social organitzation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fundació sant tomàs

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Creu Roja Osona

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Centre Formació Persones Adultes Montseny

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Centre Formació Persones Adultes Miquel Martí i Pol

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Adults Training Centers

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia

  lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-01

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations