Community Development Team

The Network Community Development Team supports the efforts of over 130 contractors who carry out nutrition education and promote physical activity in low-income communities throughout California. This team is staffed by a multidisciplinary group of public health nutritionists, health educators, nutrition education coordinators and consultants, and grant specialists. Program managers work side by side with the Administrative Team of contract managers on projects supporting local contractors, including Local Incentive Awardees (LIAs) and Local Food and Nutrition Education projects, and coordinate their work with all other Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section teams.

The Community Development Team is focused in the following areas:

Monitoring and overseeing the program activities of over 130 local contractors conducting nutrition education and physical activity promotion for low-income communities in California.

Providing ongoing technical assistance to local contractors including regular communication; periodic site visits; progress report analyses; statewide, regional and channel-specific trainings; review and approval of nutrition education materials; and distribution of current, culturally appropriate, and research-based educational and promotional materials;

Identifying and disseminating effective models for community organizations and coalitions to deliver nutrition education;

Coordinating LIA community development efforts with the statewide 5 a Day Campaigns (including Power Play!, African American 5 A Day, Latino 5 A Day and 5 A Day Retail, Physical Activity Integration Team, and 5 a Day Worksite);

Coordinating with other State programs and organizations implementing local activities that complement those of the Network. State partners include the California Department of Education, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Social Services, California Project LEAN, WIC Branch, University of California Cooperative Extension, and California Conference of Local Health Department Nutritionists

Coordinating efforts with the Research and Evaluation Team to provide local contractors and channel-specific interventions with ongoing evaluation technical assistance;
Providing LIAs access to tested media interventions by coordinating efforts with the CPNS Communications Team in planning marketing and media activities, development and dissemination of print materials, development and distribution of public service announcements, and website updating;

Identifying new statewide channels, e.g. English as a Second Language (ESL), and outreach to specific target populations, e.g. Asian American/Pacific Islander.

Providing expertise on special projects, particularly in the areas of food access (for more information, see the LFNE web page)

Developing and revising, as appropriate, program guidelines and tools for contractors to implement local nutrition education activities. The LIA Program Guidelines and all forms are reviewed annually and available for downloading from the CPNS website.

Provide support to CPNS Training Unit in planning and delivery of statewide contractor trainings,

Providing additional support to school districts by promoting CDE’s SHAPE California approach and staffing nutrition education coordinators (NECs) regionally

Coordinate the work of funded projects funded through 11 specific channels including:

City Governments

County Offices of Education

Early Years Channel

Indian Tribal Organizations

Local Food and Nutrition Education Special Projects

Local Health Departments

Non-Profit Organizations

Parks and Recreation Departments

Public Colleges/Universities

School Districts

University of California Cooperative Extension Agencies