Using the SNAP Challenge to Engage Pre-Service Teachers
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Gerogia Southern University
First Presenter’s Email Address
ehogan@georgiasouthern.edu
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Eric Hogan is an Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University within the College of Education, specifically in the Educational Psychology unit.
Second Presenter's Institution
Auburn University
Second Presenter’s Email Address
forbesa@auburn.edu
Second Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Sean Forbes is a Professor at Auburn University within the College of Education, specifically in the Educational Psychology unit.
Third Presenter's Institution
Auburn University
Third Presenter’s Email Address
cea0011@auburn.edu
Third Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Andrzejewski is a Professor at Auburn University within the College of Education, specifically in the Educational Foundations unit.
Location
Session Three
Strand #1
Home: Family & Community Engagement
Strand #2
Health: Mental & Physical Health
Relevance
The first strand chosen was Home. Our presentation fits within this domain because we want to have practitioners understand the various issues that impact a community. Equally, it is our role, within a school especially, to foster these community partnerships in support of those we serve.
The second strand chosen was Health. We endeavored to have our pre-service teachers learn through experience how food impacts one's physical and mental health. In doing so, we hoped our students would be better equipped to understand one of the many challenges that impact learning and motivation.
Brief Program Description
This presentation discusses pre-service teachers’ experiences while living off SNAP benefits for 5 days. We highlight how students described their changes to their physical and mental health. We also describe what students sacrificed to continue the challenge. We then detail how faculty and other professionals might teach on issues such as food insecurity so we can better meet the needs of those we serve.
Summary
Training pre-service teachers often focuses on educating about issues they will see in their own classrooms. One such issue is food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life (Feeding America, 2023). This presentation focuses on undergraduate education majors’ experiences of food insecurity while living off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits themselves. The students were tasked with living off SNAP benefits for 5 days. They were then asked to create a food journal while documenting such things as their physical and mental health and things they had to sacrifice to continue the challenge. During the experience, most students discussed how living off the allocated dollar amount was not a lot of money to eat a healthy diet. When exploring students’ responses, we often saw the nutritional, physical, and social toll of living off SNAP benefits. Understanding our role as educators, we believe it is essential to create a two-pronged approach to exposing students to the issue of food insecurity in public schools. One that is immersive and prompts personal reflection and another that is prescriptive and instructor-driven that guides students to bridge experience and practice. Furthermore, we must meet students where they are, not where we want them to be. Faculty can effectively teach about food insecurity if we first have students acknowledge their own perspective. Asking questions, providing readings, providing experiences, and creating a welcoming environment where community is fostered are just a few ways we can teach students on this issue and other issues.
Evidence
Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life (Feeding America, 2023a). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its most recent food insecurity report, indicating that more than 33 million people in the United States live in food-insecure households (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022). More than 9 million children (1 in 8) kids faced hunger in 2021 (Feeding America, 2023b). In a review, Shankar et al. (2017) found that across developed countries, household food insecurity, even at marginal levels, identified by a variety of measures, was associated with children’s behavioral, academic, and emotional problems beginning as early as infancy (Gundersen & Zilliak, 2015).
Coleman-Jensen A, Rabbitt MP, Gregory CA, et al. (2017) Household food security in the united states in 2016, ERR-237. Washington, DC: US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service
Feeding America. (2023a). What is food insecurity?. Feeding America. Retrieved from: https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity
Feeding America. (2023b). Child hunger in america. Feeding America, Retrieved from: https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/child-hunger-facts
Gundersen, C. & Zilliak, J. (2015). Food insecurity and health outcomes. Health Affairs, 34(11), 1830-1839.
Shankar, P., Chung, R., Frank, D. (2017). Association of food insecurity with children's behavioral, emotional, and academic outcomes: A systematic review. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 28(2), 135-150.
Learning Objective 1
To highlight food insecurity as an issue that impacts many students
Learning Objective 2
To highlight a novel way pre-service teachers and other professionals can learn about food insecurity
Learning Objective 3
To give appreciation on how food insecurity plays impacts a students' learning and motivation
Keyword Descriptors
SNAP Challenge, Food Insecurity, Teacher Education
Presentation Year
2024
Start Date
3-4-2024 2:15 PM
End Date
3-4-2024 2:45 PM
Recommended Citation
Hogan, Eric; Forbes, Sean; and Andrzejewski, Carey, "Using the SNAP Challenge to Engage Pre-Service Teachers" (2024). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 31.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2024/2024/31
Using the SNAP Challenge to Engage Pre-Service Teachers
Session Three
This presentation discusses pre-service teachers’ experiences while living off SNAP benefits for 5 days. We highlight how students described their changes to their physical and mental health. We also describe what students sacrificed to continue the challenge. We then detail how faculty and other professionals might teach on issues such as food insecurity so we can better meet the needs of those we serve.
