Nutrition students at the University of Westminster will be delivering four health-related virtual events to members of the public in January as part of their course assessment, with topics ranging from pregnancy and postnatal nutrition to the effects of lockdown on the lifestyle of new home workers.
The first event, titled ‘Children’s Nutrition: Achieving optimal diet to support growth and development’, will take place on 15 January, which is designed for parents of young children who would like to find out more about nutrition and eating a healthy diet on a budget.
The following event, ‘Pregnancy and Postnatal Nutrition and Exercise’, on 25 January, is aimed at expectant mothers and anyone who would like to know more about the benefits of nutrition and exercise during pregnancy.
Talking about delivering this event, Selina Patel, a final year Human Nutrition BSc Honours student, said: “I'm very much looking forward to delivering this event and providing new and expectant mothers with information and practical tips on nutrition and exercise.
“I feel that, in this current climate, gaining experience and confidence in presenting online is a great learning opportunity and a skill that I'm sure will be required from many employees. I've also learnt to use a project management programme which has been a beneficial tool when working together as a team virtually to organise and prepare the event.”
Another event that the students will be delivering, ‘The effects of lockdown on the lifestyle of new home workers’, is for anyone who is working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic and wants some tips on how they can improve their lifestyle and health in this new working environment.
The last event, ‘A woman’s guide: simple tricks to fuel a couch to 5k’, on 26 January, is targeted at females who want to become more active in their everyday lives, particularly those that have recently started or are wanting to start running using the NHS couch to 5k programme.
Talking about this assessment, Rosie Flyn, also a final year Human Nutrition student, said: “It is very refreshing to do an assessment that utilises real-world skills such as teamwork, organisation, creativity and practical application of the knowledge learnt over the last three years. We are looking forward to sharing our research, delivering an informative and engaging talk and using this to learn more about successfully communicating science to the public.”
Dr Sanjoy Deb, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, added: “This is an authentic real-world assessment that gives the students a great opportunity to put their learning into practise. The students have risen to the challenge by choosing topics that shows their commitment to helping people in our community and demonstrating their outlook as global citizens. Designing and delivering this event will be an excellent springboard into their graduate careers as the students approach the end of their undergraduate degree.”
To sign up to any of the events, contact Dr Sanjoy Deb.
Learn about Nutrition and Public Health courses offered at the University of Westminster.
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