Washington, DC 

An intercollegiate model has been proposed for the MTK adaptation in the Washington, DC area. In this model, seven preceptors comprising medical students from Georgetown University in collaboration with culinary professionals, have recruited 7 champions from the Georgetown and Howard Universities within Washington DC. 

​These champions were drawn from amongst college students who have insights or lived experiences regarding college hunger. The objective was to train these college students with preceptorship from the medical student facilitators, such that they became MTK champions and within the coming months will conduct two pop-up events around micro enterprise. These food based micro enterprise pop up events targeted two audiences. These ticketed events provided culinary experiences for these audiences in which they were served low cost, healthy, nutritious, and tasty meals which are nutritionally complete and served up along with health education. The entire process of training Champions using a “See One, Do One, Teach One” model as well as the impact of the pop-up events, centred on food based micro enterprise, involved the measurement of knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as other cognitive measures which will enable us to predict the future course of both the culinary health education as well as micro enterprise. Early insights were shared at the learning lab within the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior annual conference in Washington DC on the 20th of July 2023. 

In November, training kicked off with the introduction of two modules — Basics of Nutrition (1A), Culinary Nutrition Education (1B), and Event Planning and Microenterprise (2). These modules, housing pre-recorded material, were seamlessly integrated into a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Each module's learned content was further solidified through discussion sessions held on November 9 and 22, fostering valuable interactions between the NNEdPro Team and US MTK Champions. 

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New York City 

In March 2023, the NY champions embarked on an exciting culinary journey, commencing with a conceptual workshop on March 23rd. The workshop featured in-depth presentations on the origins of the MTK, its international adaptation, and its potential in the US, especially in New York City. Engaging breakout groups determined the subsequent steps, outlining the involvement of individuals in preceptorship, champion training, and potential target populations within the Brooklyn community. 

On the afternoon of March 24th, the culinary narrative unfolded at the Brooklyn Culinary Community Center. Veronica Flores Bello, the driving force behind the MTK initiative in Mexico, conducted a captivating culinary demonstration. Inspired by the Mexican MTK cookbook currently in genesis, the demonstration featured a vegan menu with a variety of dishes. These nutrient-rich, protein-packed, and low-cost meals boasted a low glycemic index, aligning with the MTK's health-centric approach. 

Excitingly, the NY champions, immersed in the "See One, Do One, Teach One" philosophy, actively participated in the sessions. These hands-on experiences were highly successful, setting the stage for a transformative journey. 

Adding to our achievements, we are thrilled to announce the recruitment of a coordinator from the New York Healthcare Community. Alongside culinary experts and other preceptors, we anticipated further training for MTK Champions in New York over the past months. Our projection included hosting two ticketed pop-up culinary events by July 2023, with one targeting the Brooklyn community, infused with health messaging. The second event aimed at an external audience, exploring the potential of the New York MTK as a thriving micro-enterprise while disseminating health education across diverse socio-economic groups. Both events were successful, providing valuable insights into the MTK's potential impact in the US. 

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Next Steps

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As we gaze into 2025, our roadmap includes the release of pre-recorded cooking demonstrations featuring 14 diverse menu templates (5 from India, 4 from Mexico, and 5 from the US) on the VLE, scheduled for online release in April 2025. This marks the inception of Phase 3 (Microenterprise), where Champions will utilise the generated revenue to give back to target communities in Washington D.C. and Brooklyn, NYC, via subsidised culinary nutrition education events.