Growing and Evolving within SNAP-Ed:
Person-Centered, Multi-Level Approaches
September 13-14, 2022
Recap & Resources
The 2022 WA SNAP-Ed Forum was held virtually and offered opportunities for IAs and LIAs to learn from peers, explore new topic areas, and connect with colleagues across the state. This abbreviated forum prepared and inspired all attendees for the 2023 Forum, which will offer hands-on opportunities to prepare for the next three year plan.
Both days of the forum opened with a main group session centered around the forum’s theme. Participants could then select one of a few breakout sessions, happening concurrently, to have a deep dive into specific topics. Attendees selected breakout session based on their interest and what work they are doing in their local community. All sessions recordings are linked below
Please note that clicking one of these links will take you away from the WA SNAP-Ed website. If you wish to open a recording in a new window, right-click on the session title and select “Open in New Tab.”
Day One Recordings (September 13, 2022)
Welcome and Keynote Panel Discussion: Rural & Urban Community Organizing Strategies
This panel features stand out community organizers who work across the state to bring together diverse communities to coordinate efforts that make lasting change in their communities. This panel will explore ways that SNAP-Ed providers and their partners can better serve the communities we work in from the ground up by providing their insights around best practices and avoidable pitfalls they have experienced.
Breakout Sessions:
Utilizing resources outside of SNAP-Ed to complement SNAP-Ed work
Abby Miller and Jill Farrant will share how they have worked with community partners to utilize resources outside of SNAP-Ed to complement SNAP-Ed work. They will describe different ways that they have increased resources through grants, partner resources, community opportunities and other ways to collaborate on community assets.
Social media literacy as a creator and consumer
As a child Ona spent summers in eastern Washington on family farms with Clara, her grandmother, canning, baking, cooking, sewing, and watching soaps. The magic she spun into her way of life, jars, and food was worth a lifetime of inspiration.Because of these childhood experiences Ona believes in the power traditional food ways & memory have to positively impact our homes as well as our communities.Clara's focus is providing the Whatcom County community with hyper local farm direct sources, recipes, garden education, preservation, & storage. She does this through creative messaging on Instagram, YouTube, blog, products, private cooking, pop ups, and classes. This work supports our local food economy with a multilevel approach. Before this, she worked as a chef in Seattle, starting from the bottom and eventually working at a Michelin Star restaurant, The Spotted Pig. Because of her robust work in the food system and success on social media, Ona is leading the breakout session highlighting Social Media and Food Resource Management Her website is linked below; https://www.clarascanningco.com
Intro to participatory evaluation
In this session, the evaluation team will provide an introduction of participatory evaluation. Attendees will learn about a variety of participatory evaluation methods and ways they may be able to include those strategies in their programming or evaluations. The session will also take a deeper look at two participatory evaluation strategies in breakout sessions: photovoice and participatory community mapping.
Multi-age approaches to SNAP-Ed work
Join Multicare for a look into working with the pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding/chestfeeding populations. They’ll share their experiences and walk you through a new PSE program they’ve designed to provide a full range of the most sought-after information for new families. Afterwards, listeners are welcome to join in on a discussion of how SNAP-Ed can work with the WIC population without supplanting WIC’s work.
Day Two Recordings (September 14, 2022)
Main Keynote Speaker: Rise and Thrive: Creating Healing Spaces
Many vulnerable communities are coping with the prolonged, stressful, and ever-changing nature of our new reality resulting in a universal need for nourishment and care. To meet this need, flexible, adaptable, and culturally relevant approaches must be developed with and tailored to the unique needs of those communities, and driven by the experiential wisdom of those with lived experience. During this session, Attendees will explore the barriers that impede our ability to navigate and facilitate through unknown and sometimes uncomfortable spaces. Attendees will also learn innovative, practical tools to create, hold and welcome the communities we serve into Healing Spaces. About The Rise and Thrive Curriculum: Rise to Thrive is a community approach to health, wellness, and healing developed by those that have been heavily impacted by trauma, systems, and internal barriers that had previously negatively impacted their ability to be well. R2R supports and challenges participants to recognize and mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress to create a life that is happy and fulfilling. This exploration and understanding are accomplished through workshops, group healing discussions, resources, and a network of healthy connections— all focused on seven key practices based on healing-centered engagement: Healthy Relationships, Nourishment, Mindfulness, Holistic Fitness, Rest & Sleep, Self-Exploration, and Play.
Breakout Sessions:
Food sovereignty projects in Washington state
This session will highlight food sovereignty projects within Native and Indigenous communities. We will hear from Michelle, farm founder of x̌ast sq̓it Good Rain Farm, and Tessa, Cowlitz Tribe Community Wellness Garden. They will share about their experience with community driven programming that ensure people have access to healthy and culturally appropriate foods.
Food access work happening in WA farmers markets
It’s no secret that digital technology continues to change the way we shop, including at farmers markets. Electronic benefits not only provide easy access for shoppers, but can also eliminate the barriers and stigma associated with shopping with specialized currency often required to shop at farmers markets. In 2023, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) which oversees both Senior and WIC programs, is restructuring the program from a paper voucher system to electronic or e-benefits. Concurrently, the Fruit & Vegetable Incentive Program is piloting a new electronic incentive approach. This workshop will share the most up-to-date information about these projects in Washington State led by the WA Department of Health and WA Department of Health and Human Services as they plan ways to bring more e-benefits to food access programs at farmers markets.
Cross agency collaboration to support local food purchasing
Join us to learn more about the collaboration between WA SNAP-Ed, OSPI, WSDA, DOH, ESD 101, and other local partners. Representatives from all of these agencies have been working together to assess needs and plan trainings and activities to support local purchasing in schools and early child care centers that serve SNAP eligible students. Each agency plays an important role in this effort and will share their own unique perspective and contribution.
Your 2022 Forum Planning Group
A group of WA SNAP-Ed colleagues worked hard to plan the 2022 WA SNAP-Ed Forum. Thank you to those who volunteered to help and for your tireless effort sharing ideas on Zoom calls, contacting potential speakers, and settling all the logistics to make this year run smoothly!
Planning Team Members:
Claudia Abramson-Thurston County Food Bank
Angela Amico-DSHS
Karla Anderson-WSU Whatcom County
Noelle Beecroft-WSU Whatcom County
Eileen Grigsby-CTW
Morgan Hartline-DOH IA
Cindy Johnson-Mattawa Community Medical Clinic
Noa Kay-DOH IA
Jen Moss-CTW
Upasana Mukherjee-WSU Grant County
Leigh Newman-Bell-WSFMA
Amber Noskoff-WSU Region 3 IA
Terry Perry-CTW
Courtney Schupp-CTW
Anna Weyrauch-WSU Clark County
Looking Ahead to the 2023 WA SNAP-Ed Forum
If you would like to serve on a planning committee for the 2023 statewide forum, please contact your IA. Your input is welcome!
