Osseo Health and Wellness Project: A Community-Driven Model to Address Inequities in Students’ Nutrition, Health and Wellness in a Culturally Diverse School District.

Abstract

Osseo Health and Wellness Project (OHWP) is a community-driven initiative led by African Immigrant Services (AIS), a community organization serving African immigrants in the Northwest suburbs of Hennepin County. OHWP partnership includes Osseo Area Schools Nutrition Services (OAS-NS), community members, and other stakeholders including the University of Minnesota. The main purpose of OHWP was to increase parents' and students' voices in shaping culturally responsive and equitable health and wellness practices, systems, and outcomes within OAS-NS. Using a community-driven action research approach, OHWP organized and convened a community focus group to which students, parents, community members, and OAS staff were invited. Based upon input from parents, students, and community members, the Osseo District School Board approved the new OAS wellness policy in 2017. The superintendent subsequently appointed four wellness coordinators to manage the district-wide implementation of the wellness policy. AIS provided two African community chefs who trained the kitchen staff on the preparation of five different recipes. The students loved the new recipes, and they were incorporated into the school lunch menus. Clear labeling of food was carried out across all schools allowing students with different cultural, religious, and medical needs to better participate in the School Lunch Program. OAS is now working on hiring more staff from the community and continuing to work on making the menus healthier. The school district better appreciates the African immigrant community as a valuable resource and the community holds greater power and voice in continuing the work. The AIS model offers the opportunity for transferable experiences in cross-cultural relationship building between communities and the educational institutions serving those communities. To the extent these experiences can be replicated in other settings, they hold promise to break down barriers and pave ways for the parents to be a greater part of their children's lives in school.