Lincoln University Nutrition Assistants Strengthen Skills at Annual Statewide Training

Nutrition program materials set out during Lincoln University’s annual training for program assistants to use throughout the event.

Lincoln University of Missouri’s (LU) Judith Mutamba, state Extension specialist of human nutrition and health, brought nutrition program assistants from across Missouri together for their annual training in late April.

The training focused on professional development, program consistency and expanding the impact of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. It also gave assistants the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the program, clarify their roles and strengthen the skills needed to deliver effective nutrition education in the communities they serve.

Throughout the training, participants reviewed reporting requirements, evaluation procedures and lesson-planning strategies to ensure everyone approaches their work with the same standards and expectations. Sessions also focused on how to adapt nutrition programming for different age groups and audiences, helping assistants better connect with youth, families and adults in a variety of community settings.

“The reasons for lack of diet quality, food safety or being physically active may be different from community to community or for each age category,” Mutamba said. “It is crucial to identify the causes of the food and nutrition insecurity so the nutrition education delivered is appropriate to the community.”

As part of the training, Allison Young, family and consumer sciences program leader at LU, provided foundational background on LU Cooperative Extension and its mission across Missouri. Her session helped connect the assistants’ day-to-day work in nutrition education to the university’s broader commitment to outreach, education and community development.

Judith Mutamba and all nutrition program assistants stand together on Lincoln University’s main campus during their annual training event.

Mutamba continually emphasized the importance of collaboration, encouraging assistants to build partnerships with schools, organizations and agencies in their service areas to expand the reach of their programming. She explained that in their work, they make a difference together, not alone.

“We are like a drop in the ocean,” Mutamba said. “We cannot say, ‘my personal effort has made an impact on everybody.’”

The training also gave assistants time to share challenges they have encountered in the field and discuss practical solutions for helping families make healthier choices. LU’s Jasmine Sales, a nutrition program assistant based in Sikeston, said one of the most common misconceptions she has come across is the belief healthy eating is too expensive.

“Simple foods like beans, rice, eggs, frozen vegetables and fruit can be affordable and healthy,” Sales said.

Kathaleen Lopez-Smith, who serves central Missouri, shared how time can be one of the biggest barriers for families trying to improve their diets. She said meal planning is one strategy she recommends during her programming.

“A few hours on the weekend spent meal prepping for the week can help with not eating out or eating processed foods as much,” Lopez-Smith said.

Lopez-Smith said the training also reinforced why she values the work she has been doing since joining the program earlier this year.

“I can finally represent the underserved people of the state of Missouri,” Lopez-Smith said. “The homeless, Indigenous communities, disabled communities — people that do not want to go out to learn or who have little support.”

By the end of the training, assistants left with a shared understanding of program expectations, stronger educational strategies and renewed motivation for the work ahead. The annual training reflects LU’s mission to provide practical, research-based learning opportunities leading to improved lives across Missouri.

For more information on LU’s nutrition programming, contact Judith Mutamba at MutambaJ@lincolnu.edu.