Generic Position Description Elements for Any/All UC ANR Advisors

Silicon Valley Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences Advisor Policy, Systems and Environment focus

POSITION DESCRIPTION: (1) Advisor will develop an applied research and extension program to reduce health disparities through policy, systems and environment interventions that promote healthy families and communities. The UCCE Advisor will work with partners to address community needs and low-income nutrition education programs funded by Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) and UC CalFresh in Santa Clara and southern San Mateo counties; (2) requires a minimum of a master’s degree in community nutrition, health education, public policy, public health, human development or related field; (3) housed in Santa Clara County, this position covers the Silicon Valley which includes southern San Mateo county.

JUSTIFICATION: Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Silicon Valley and despite the tech industry boom, poverty rates in the region are at historic highs at 11.3% with nearly 500,000 residents being SNAP-Ed eligible. In 2013, the Health Trust of Silicon Valley reported that only 15% of food sellers in San Jose offer healthy options and more than 40% of the children from low-income households in the county are overweight/obese. Additionally, only 17% of children 5-11 years old are active at least 1 hour every day. For years health and nutrition education efforts were based on the idea that we could educate our way out of poor nutrition/diabetes/obesity epidemics. The emerging focus of nutrition education efforts recognizes that an individual’s health as related to their physical activity and food choices are shaped by all sectors of society including the environment, the structure of their community, public policies and education. UCCE nutrition educators in the Silicon Valley have been accompanying their education programs with support for policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies. The educators have been impacting change at individual and organizational levels (i.e. schools, preschools) to improve health outcomes. An NFCS advisor serving the Silicon Valley would not only provide leadership to the nutrition educator’s efforts but also engage at the community and public policy level to create structural change in communities and inform policies, address community and health disparities that could dramatically shift community norms and increase beneficial health behaviors. Potential policy efforts include public procurement policies (farm to school, farm to hospital), school wellness policies, safe routes to schools, smarter lunchrooms, and other efforts akin to these.

This advisor would provide a valuable link between traditional nutrition education and this new focus, which marries education with system and environmental change. Covering the Silicon Valley, a vast suburban-urban community not only housing high-tech companies but also associated public infrastructure administered across county and city lines will allow the advisor to effectively conduct applied research and influence change at a community level. The advisor would also be instrumental in building partnerships with both public agencies, philanthropies and non-profits that can influence community health such as The Health Trust, Santa Clara County Public Health, Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, City and County Planners, and the Valley Transit Authority. There is also tremendous opportunity to further engage other UCCE programs including its robust Master Gardener Program, 4H youth in PSE strategies leading to access to healthy food through conducting community assessments, photo voice and the creation of community and school gardens. UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County have 330 active volunteers and maintain 16 demonstration gardens throughout the county. In addition, this advisor will be able to compliment the work of the newly hired NFCS advisor based in Half Moon Bay (coastal San Mateo County) who with this position in place will be able to work with other multi-county Bay Area advisors and build a UCCE program in San Francisco.

EXTENSION: This advisor will provide leadership to the extension education efforts of UC Cal- fresh and EFNEP staff in Santa Clara County (7 FTE). Since SNAP-Ed is quickly moving into PSE work, this position will also be an asset to other county partners engaged in nutrition education like Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department. Additional outreach to diverse clientele including community agencies, schools, planning departments and community garden organizations, food policy councils, urban farms and farm to fork/institution programs would be expected.

RESEARCH: The NFCS advisor would be expected to conduct applied research in the emerging areas of nutrition education including how to effectively impact and assess change to public policy, community environments and systems to impact health for families and communities. Potential areas of focus include research on effective change and methods to change policy i.e. food and beverage policy, environment (physical, social, or physical), and systems (organizational or institutional structure) that provides for to increase the likelihood of physical activity and healthy food choices.

ANR NETWORK: This advisor is expected to collaborate with NFCS advisors, and other advisors in the San Francisco Bay Area including the Area Small Farm Advisor, the proposed Silicon Valley Urban Agriculture Advisor, 4-H Youth Development Advisors as well as Master Gardeners. In addition this advisor would support the continuum of ANR focused on healthy families and communities including Nutrition Specialists at UCD and UCB, Clare Gupta, Public Policy Specialist, UCD, and the Nutrition Policy Institute. It is anticipated that the advisor would become a member of the Healthy Behaviors Program Team and the California Communities Program Team.

NETWORK EXTERNAL TO ANR: There are collaborative partnerships developing to support policy, environment and system change that this advisor can engage with, led and leverage including the Santa Clara and San Mateo Food System Alliance, Berkeley Food Institute; the Food and Health Institute of Stanford University, and the Santa Clara University Food and Agribusiness Institute, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. Other potential partners include the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, BANPAC coalition, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation, San Mateo Parks and Recreation, California Alliance of Family Farmers, and The Health Trust.

SUPPORT: Santa Clara County will support this position as the headquarter county. UCCE Santa Clara County will provide office space, travel, supplies, and administrative support.

OTHER SUPPORT: This position will be expected to collaborate on proposals to help support research projects. Potential funders include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research program, AFRI food security grants, USDAs community food projects competitive grants, the Famers market Promotion program, the Kellogg Foundation, and the California Endowment which all have initiatives that support healthy communities.

LOCATION: Santa Clara County serving the Silicon Valley (parts of San Mateo and Alameda Counties). The advisor covers a geographical area defined by the communities of the Silicon Valley, which encompasses parts of three counties (Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda) and 17 cities.

DEVELOPED AND PROPOSED BY This proposal was developed by Sheila Barry, UCCE Santa Clara County Director with input from Lorrene Ritchie, Nutrition Policy Institute, David Ginsburg, UC Cal-fresh, and Clare Gupta, UCCE Public Policy Specialist. It was developed with support from the Bay Area Staffing Committee; County Directors, Sheila Barry, Virginia Bolshakova, Rob Bennaton, and Advisor, Janet Caprile.