In this innovative talk, educator and nutrition professor Dr. Jenelle Robinson highlights performing arts-based activities and tools useful for prompting dietary changes. Dr. Robinson addresses multiple art forms as nutrition education resources and agents for encouraging better eating practices. Dr. Jenelle Robinson possesses a PhD in Nutrition, a Master's degree in Dietetics, and a Bachelor's degree in Health Education. Dr. Robinson has published a book, curriculum, as well as four spoken word poetry albums that address different areas of wellness. Her recent academic publications and presentations address the value of spoken word poetry as a learning resource in health and nutrition programming, as well as a tool for engagement in culturally-relevant nutrition education pedagogy. As a nutrition professor at one of the top 10 HBCUs in the nation (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University), Dr. Jenelle Robinson has committed to teaching, research, and service projects that promote experiential learning, leadership, and utilizing the performing arts as a platform for dispersing nutrition awareness and education. She has presented to multiple local and national audiences on how she uses multiple art forms (music, poetry, comedy, social media) to engage her students with the science of nutrition. As evidence of her classroom innovation, she received the 2016 FAMU Faculty Teaching Innovation Award (Junior Category) and was a 2017 nominee.
Teaching over 200 nutrition students per year, Dr. Robinson uses her face-to-face and online classroom to promote engaging activities that combine storytelling, spoken word poetry, and basic nutrition topics of interest. Students regularly watch poetry videos that contain nutrition and health themes, create their own nutrition-based poems, and have created videos and a documentary that included multiple aspects of the performing arts, including spoken word poetry. In areas of health research and education, Dr. Robinson has a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Health Education Teaching concerning the value of utilizing poetry as a vehicle for health messages. In service projects within the community, she is a well sought-after nutrition educator based on her “poetic” introduction and delivery of nutrition concepts. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx