ACCESSION NO: 1015856  SUBFILE: CRIS 

PROJ NO: HAWN-14-240 AGENCY: NIFA HAWN 

PROJ TYPE: OTHER GRANTS PROJ STATUS: NEW 
CONTRACT/GRANT/AGREEMENT NO: 2018-38413-28140 PROPOSAL NO: 2017-09294 
START: 15 MAY 2018 TERM: 14 MAY 2023 FY: 2018 
GRANT AMT: $200,000 GRANT YR: 2018
AWARD TOTAL: $200,000
INITIAL AWARD YEAR: 2018

INVESTIGATOR: Revilla, M. K.; Novotny, RA, .

PERFORMING INSTITUTION: 
UNIV OF HAWAII 
3190 MAILE WAY 
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96822

CHILDREN'S HEALTHY LIVING DIETETICS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (CHLD)

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: CHLD will address the USDA MSP area of emphasis to

increase diversity in the Food and Agricultural workforce by increasing the number of
underrepresented Native Hawaiians (NH) receiving baccalaureate degrees in dietetics at the
University of Hawai'i at M?noa (UHM). Through an enhanced student learning experience
reflecting Hawaiian values CHLD will accomplish the following objectives: 1) Establish a
sustainable pipeline for recruiting, NH students into dietetics; 2) Matriculate 5 NH scholars into
dietetics; 3) Support 5 NH scholars to maintain good academic standing and on-time progress
to dietetics degree completion; 4) Implement a mentored summer experiential learning
opportunity in child obesity prevention; 5) Develop the leadership capacities of 5 NH scholars
through participation in research, service learning, and professional meetings; 6) Enhance the
pipeline of qualified NH students into internships, graduate programs, or employment in a
dietetics related area. CHLD consists of 4 years of degree program and specialized training in
dietetics and child obesity prevention, 6 academic semesters of service learning, and a
specialized experiential learning summer field experience. All scholars will have a faculty mentor
and complete leadership training throughout CHLD. Upon graduation, all CHLD Scholars will
have a guaranteed spot in the UHM Dietetics Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway
Program. CHLD will facilitate 5 underrepresented NH scholars to sit for the Dietetic Registration
Examination in 5 years. CHLD's integrated approach will lead to 5 NH dietetic professionals with
exceptional place-based child obesity prevention skills that will contribute to a regional effort to
promote health and well-being.

OBJECTIVES: 1) Establish a sustainable pipeline for recruiting underrepresented, Native

Hawaiian (NH) students into the dietetics undergraduate degree by Fall 20182) Matriculate 5
NH scholars into CHLD by Fall 20193) Support 5 NH scholars to maintain good academic
standing and on-time progress to BS Dietetics degree completion by Spring 2023 through an
integrated, culturally relevant dietetics training that includes advising, mentoring and leadership
development4) Implement a mentored summer experiential learning opportunity in child obesity
prevention by Summer 20225) Develop the leadership capacities (e.g., self-efficacy, problem-
solving, and critical thinking skills) of 5 NH scholars through participation in research, service
learning, and professional meetings6) Enhance the pipeline of qualified NH students into
internships, graduate programs, or employment in a dietetics related area by Spring 2023
APPROACH: CHLD will leverage partnerships with NH serving organizations and high schools
in Hawai'i to provide a pipeline into CHLD. Recruitment activities will include outreach to high
schools, health career pathway programs, and other student serving organizations to expose
students to the breadth and scope of dietetics. Outreach will include video clips on local RDNs.
Materials will also be circulated to academic counselors. CHLD will partner with UHM
Admissions, CTAHR Academic Advisors, and the UHM NH Student Services Center for other
recruitment opportunities. To ensure success during the application process and the selection of
a cadre of qualified scholars, CHLD will assist interested students to complete their application
through application workshops.Recruitment will focus on students who are residents of Hawai'i
and who have a commitment to residing in Hawai'i. This will increase the number of NH
applicants, based on previous experience with CHL. CHLD recruitment will occur Summer 2018
- Fall 2018.Selection. The application will be posted on the Training/Education section of the
CHL website (www.chl-pacific.org) by August 1, 2018 (applications due by January 1, 2019).
Students will submit an application, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, and a
personal statement. Applicants will be ranked by: 1) commitment to a career in dietetics and
child obesity prevention, 2) leadership potential, 3) motivation to complete the program, and 4)
NH community commitment and engagement. Based on the recommended strategy to increase
student body diversity (29) and success (33), incoming freshman to dietetics will be the target
as these students will have sufficient time to complete the program as a learning community. To
increase the chances for success and, in alignment with degree entry requirements, students
must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.Applications will be reviewed and ranked by the CHLD Selection
Committee, composed of the Program Directors, mentors, and service learning organization
leads, starting January 15, 2019. The CHLD Selection Committee will identify the top 5
applicants. Applicants will be notified by February 15, 2019 and must confirm by March 15,
2019. If less than 5 applicants accept admission, the next ranked applicant will be notified of
acceptance. All 5 scholars will start in Summer 2019 with the Eia M?noa freshman bridge
program and CHLD orientation.CHLD will apply an integrated curriculum to training students.
Students will complete both the dietetics undergraduate degree along with the Children's
Healthy Living Summer Institute pathway to provide them specialized training in child health.
Students will also complete ethics training, cultural competency and safety training,
anthropometry standardization training, a specialized learning field experience and multiple
service learning experiences. Students will also develop their own leadership style over the
course of the program. All students will be paired up with a mentor for the duration of their
degree. A peer-to-peer mentoring group will also be formed to foster a family dynamic between
the students. Students will attend one local conference every year and will present the findings
of their specialized field experience. Upon graduation, all students will be guaranteed a spot in
the programs Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway.Evaluation will occur at the start, mid-
point, and end of every semester to continually evaluate the program and student.

PROGRESS: 2019/05 TO 2020/05
Target Audience:The primary target audience is Native Hawaiian students enrolled in the CHLD
program working towards a Bachelor's of Science degree in Dietetics. In addition, encouraging
Native Hawaiian high school students to pursue a degree in dietetics.
Changes/Problems:Majority of the scholars continue to struggle with basic Math, Chemistry and
Biology. The program has been focused on directing them to available resources and assisting
with refining their study skills. Three of the scholars will most likely need to re-take these
courses. One student is considering leaving the program at the end of the semester due to the
challenges of these basic courses to pursue culinary training. We are working to provide this
student with resources and connect them with other individuals that have a background in
dietetics and Culinology to show the value of both. This student could achieve training in both of
these disciplines in the University of Hawaii System. Due to COVID19 we have had to cancel a
number of activities Participation in two college and career fairs as well as a campus visit by a
nutrition class from a local public high school (related to objective 1). Field trips planned for the
second half of the semester have been canceled (assisted living facility) (related to Objective 3
and 5) Participation in one of their leadership development experiences, the Hawaii Academy
for Nutrition and Dietetics Spring Conference (related to Objective 5) Weekly hui sessions
moved online due to COVID19 which has posed challenges as all of the scholars have moved
home and are attending hui online, from multiple time zones with various levels of internet
access. We have also had to adjust the content of the weekly huis since previously planned field
trips and other activities could no longer occur (related to Objective 3 and 5). However, the
experience that the program has with online learning has also made the transition for the hui
online manageable. In addition, since the programming that the scholars will be participating in
during the summer is through the CHL Summer Institute which is already offered online, that
transition will not be impacted. COVID19 has a significant impact on our scholars academically
and personally. Our scholars are grateful to be home with their families where they feel it is
safer but are anxious with the situation that is rapidly evolving. Our scholars have had to make
significant adaptations to continue their studies in less than ideal environments for all of their
courses to move 100% online (e.g., unreliable access to the internet, households filled with
multiple family members and lack of space to study). In addition, many of our scholars are
concerned about the well-being of their family members who may be older or at a higher risk
due to other health concerns which makes it difficult to focus on school. One of our scholars has
contemplated leaving school due to the challenges of moving completely online. As a program
we are doing our best to support our students virtually but it has been difficult to reach all of the
students. Due to unforeseen circumstances the coordinator for the program will no longer be
working with us effective mid-May 2020. We are in the process of requesting approval to do a
casual hire over the summer to assist us with preparing for the 2020-2021 AY as well as finding
a permanent coordinator that will start by the start of fall 2020. However, due to COVID19 all
hiring has been frozen on campus. To make the situation more complex, the CHLD Program
Director (Revilla) will be on maternity leave starting mid-summer. We are working to determine a
contingency plan. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project
provided?In addition to what has been shared previously, the CHLD team has participated in a
college fair on 1/31/2020 representing the dietetics field and career opportunities to spread
awareness. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All information
on the program is posted on the Training/Education section of the Children's Healthy Living
website (http://www.chl-pacific.org/chl-dietetics-scholars-program). Results and efforts of the
program have been shared at three Native Hawaiian Dietetics Council meetings (5/22/2019,
12/13/2019, and 5/14/2020). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to
accomplish the goals?Weekly hui sessions will continue to be held addressing various topics
that will benefit the students career and academic goals. Welcome back orientations will
continue to be held at the start of every semester with scholars and their families. One - two
huis will be focused on culturally grounded leadership development. The CHLD co-Director will
continue to coordinate one hui session a semester. The CHLD Graduate Coordinator and
Undergraduate Peer Coordinator will continue to coordinate the weekly hui. Service-learning will
begin in Fall 2020 with a focus on research and Spring 2021 with a focus on policy. Students
will also become standardized anthropometric measurements for children in Fall 2020 to align
with their service learning research experience. Scholars will take two specialized courses
online in Summer 2020. One course will be to enhance their profession and research skills,
including completing ethics training. The second course will be on learning the basics of doing
anthropometry and dietary assessment in children. Scholars will continue to meet with the
CHLD program director and the dietetics program director monthly. They will also continue to
meet with the academic advisors every semester. The scholars will continue working towards
completing the required coursework for a Bachelors of Science degree in Dietetics at UHM. The
program will continue to evolve and seek opportunities to support the scholars degree
completion.

IMPACT: 2019/05 TO 2020/05
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Enhance the pipeline of qualified
Native Hawaiian students into internships, graduate programs, or employment in a dietetics
related area by Spring 2023. We will continue to leverage opportunities to enhance the pipeline
of students gaining employment in the field of dietetics in our state. A member of the CHLD
team is the Dietetics Program Director at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and also directs the
Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP). Completion of the ISPP programs results in
eligibility for the registration examination for dietitians. She will be working with us to facilitate
the scholarship awardees placement into the ISPP Program that will be combined with a MS
degree, upon completion of their Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics. Objective 2. Develop the
leadership capacities (e.g., self-efficacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills) of 5 Native
Hawaiian scholars through participation in research, service learning, and professional
meetings. A Native Hawaiian consultant has been hired to run culturally-tailored leadership
sessions in 1 - 2 hui a semester starting in Spring 2020. This semester the focus of that session
is on servant leadership using the Hawaiian Alii (royalty) as examples. Objective 3. Implement a
mentored summer experiential learning opportunity in child obesity prevention. This objective
will take place in year three of the grant. Objective 4. Support 5 NH scholars to maintain good
academic standing and on-time progress to BS Dietetics degree completion by Spring 2023
through an integrated, culturally relevant dietetics training that includes advising, mentoring and
leadership development All scholars were provided a laptop purchased by the program through
funds provided by the CHL Summer Institute but only three scholars ended up needing the
laptops. Orientation/welcome sessions have been held with the scholars and their family at the
start of every semester. During the spring semester, the scholars prepared the meal for their
family to showcase the skills they have learned so far in the program. Scholars have been
participating in weekly "hui" (group) meetings which are focused on promoting the Hawaiian
values of kuleana (responsibility), onipa'a (working together), and lokahi (collaboration) into their
studies. In hui scholars have assessed their core values, learned about opportunities for
identifying a mentor, learned about budgeting, engaged in activities to encourage relationship
building with their instructors, learned about their genealogy, developed additional study skills,
learned additional tricks to navigating the learning management system used by the university,
were exposed to other opportunities in the field of dietetics. The scholars have also worked on
creating tokens of appreciation to provide to guests speakers for the program. We have also
been focusing on building relationships (pilina) with their group and have been working on
developing a program protocol which includes aspects of the Hawaiian culture such as chanting.
Scholars have been exposed to the community through program organized field trips to a
community health center, a museum, and historic cultural sites. The scholars have been
working towards completing the required coursework for a Bachelors of Science degree in
Dietetics at UHM. Monthly check-in meetings are held with the program director and the
dietetics program director. The program co-director runs one session of hui every semester. A
Native Hawaiian Graduate Student serves as the coordinator for CHLD and a Native Hawaiian
Dietetics Undergraduate (Upperclassmen) has been brought on to the team to serve as a Peer
Coordinator. The peer coordinator runs tutoring sessions for the Scholars. The scholars meet
with the college academic advisors every semester. CHLD also promotes resources available
from the Native Hawaiian Student Services (NHSS) program. CHLD has also worked with the
scholars on the preparation and submission of scholarship applications for the 2020-2021
school year. A pre, mid, and post evaluation is completed by the scholars every semester. In
spring 2020, an instructor mid-semester check-in was also implemented. Objective 5.
Matriculate 5 NH scholars into CHLD by Fall 2019 Five scholars matriculated into the pre-
dietetics degree in Fall 2019. All five scholars are currently in their second semester. Objective
6. Establish a sustainable pipeline for recruiting underrepresented, Native Hawaiian (NH)
students into the dietetics undergraduate degree by Fall 2018 We have participated in college
career fairs to encourage interest for nutrition and dietetics. We have connected with the private
and public nutrition High School teachers to discuss opportunities for continued partnership. We
did two guest lectures at nutrition class for Juniors and Seniors at Kamehameha Schools-
Kapalama Campus. Kamehameha Schools is a private school which serves and educates 6,900
students of Native Hawaiian ancestry on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island and at 30 preschool
sites statewide. Information on the program continues to be shared with working dietitians in the
community through an advisory council.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2019/05 TO 2020/05

No publications reported this period.