Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Jones, S.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
901 SUMTER ST STE 511
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29208-0001

COPASCITIES: CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION IN SC COMMUNITIES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: States and communities are responding to the high and rising rates of childhood obesity with strategies designed to address food systems change. The Guide to Community Preventive Services currently does not have sufficient evidence to recommend any nutrition strategies for obesity prevention. Nonetheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other groups recommend food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention. Food systems strategies are often contested in community settings because of competing values and interests among stakeholders. Furthermore, the evaluation of these food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention is limited and shows inconsistent results. To advance childhood obesity prevention in the US, researchers and public health practitioners need to adopt the model of practice-based evidence, developing research and evaluation within real world community contexts. In the State of South Carolina (SC), several community-based groups are actively using food systems strategies for childhood obesity prevention. These groups represent different interests in each community and choose strategies for prevention based on those interests and their capacity to adopt prevention strategies. Working in partnership with these groups, we have the opportunity to learn about the community process of obesity prevention and build practice-based evidence for these contexts. The long-term goals of this project are to : 1. Increase the capacity of SC community leaders and the University of South Carolina (USC) faculty and students to develop practice-based evidence for community-based childhood obesity prevention. 2. Catalyze and describe the process through which community-based teams develop practice-based evidence for childhood obesity prevention. We expect that (1) within complex community systems, childhood obesity prevention teams can develop practice-based evidence that can be used to in real time; (2) participatory action research will be a useful a model for generating practice-based evidence; (3) building the institutional capacity of USC to educate future obesity prevention leaders will sustain obesity prevention in the future; and (4) faculty participation in the development of institutes and educational opportunities will strengthen faculty collaboration within the USC. In sum, we expect that this project will strengthen the capacity of the State of SC to prevent childhood obesity through research and education. Uses of this work include: (1) Providing practice-based evidence of childhood obesity prevention strategies; (2) Providing a foundation for future research into the community processes that facilitate effective obesity prevention strategies; (3) Providing a model for advancing the field of public health nutrition by integrating food systems and environments expertise into our educational programs; (4) Translating best practices from other fields, such as HIV prevention, for community-based capacity building ; And (5) Using case studies to leverage future funding for research and obesity prevention.

OBJECTIVES: 1. Increase the capacity of SC community leaders and USC *Develop and implement a capacity-building program for SC community leaders of childhood obesity prevention. Y1: Develop, administer, and analyze surveys; Y2: Develop and disseminate research, policy and practice briefs; Y3: Implementation of institutes; Make cases widely available for use; Y2 to Y3 offer up to five institutes per semester with faculty mentors and an average of 10 community leaders per institute. Y4 offer three institutes per semester; Re-administer and analyze survey; Y5: Develop and disseminate research, policy and practice briefs. *Expand USC educational opportunities for training in food systems and childhood obesity prevention by creating an undergraduate minor, a graduate certificate, and service learning opportunities, field placements, and graduate assistantships for students. Y1 Develop program proposal, seek departmental, school, and faculty senate approval; Work with Office of Student Engagement to identify service learning faculty partners; Y2-Y5 Promote and monitor minor enrollment; provide advisement support for minor's and certificate's departmental home; Y2-Y5: Stimulate the development of at least 2 service learning course by offering summer stipend to faculty for course development; Y1-Y5: Identify community placement opportunities; Y1-Y5 one brief per year per student and faculty 2. Catalyze and describe the process through which community-based teams develop practice-based evidence * Use participatory action research to catalyze and evaluate the adoption of community-based childhood obesity prevention strategies. Y1 Conduct a content analysis of strategies recommended; Y2 Conduct semi-structured interviews with up to 10 members of 30 community working groups to identify strategies for which leaders have common ground and strategies which are contested; Y3 Conduct a comparative case study of photo voice studies; Y4 Analyze participant-developed themes to understand views of childhood obesity prevention strategies across SC communities. * Conduct prospective case studies of 4 communities Y1 Select communities, hire community organizers; community leaders participate in capacity building institutes, organizer participates in additional training; Y2 Mentor community organizers, begin compiling and analyzing cases; work with participants in capacity building institutes to use new skills, resources, and commitment in planning; Y3-Y4: Organizers work to catalyze community actions; Y5: Analyze themes across cases; continue to document community process; develop manuscripts. We expect that (1) childhood obesity prevention teams will develop practice-based evidence that can be used to in real time; (2) participatory action research will generate practice-based evidence; (3) building the institutional capacity of USC will sustain obesity prevention in the future; and (4) development of institutes and educational opportunities will strengthen faculty collaboration. In sum, we expect that this project will strengthen the capacity of the State of SC to prevent childhood obesity through research and education.

APPROACH: Assess and monitor the capacity of SC community leaders We will administer an online survey to a convenience sample of at least 10 community leaders from at least 30 SC communities, for a total of 300 respondents. These data will be used to develop capacity- building institutes. Implement capacity-building program We will develop the institutes through case-finding and development. Open-ended cases have been successful in "envisioning potential solutions to real world situations". Related reading and assignment rubrics will be developed for the experiential learning component. Course developers will work in partnership with instructional services to develop podcasts, blogs, and other tools to enhance the course content. The institutes will include an online, an on-campus, and an in-community component. Evaluation of the institute will be done by conducting interviews with participants 6 months after completion to determine the extent to which capacity building has led to changes in practices. We anticipate offering weekend institutes (on campus) on at least 5 groups of topics, with a 2-week mentored component (in-community). Create an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in nutrition and food systems and public health nutrition graduate certificate program An interdisciplinary faculty team will develop the programs. Create service learning, field placements, and graduate assistantships for students in community-based childhood obesity prevention. We will place at least 10 service learning and 10 graduate field students. We will provide 2 competitive community-based childhood obesity prevention assistantships to students seeking PhD, MSPH, or other research training degrees and an interest in developing research expertise in building community capacity and practice-based evidence for obesity prevention. Facilitate targeted negotiation and advocacy through research We will invite up to 10 communities to participate in photo voice, where community members take photographs to represent their perspectives on of a contested issue. Briefly, we will follow the process of meeting with interested teams, providing cameras, collecting cameras and printing photographs, facilitating a meeting in which participants analyze photographic data to identify common themes, themes of omission, and important differences among participants. Develop prospective case studies We use a research action model for developing prospective case studies in which we hire community organizers from selected communities, train the organizers through our capacity building institutes and additional training in ethnographic field methods to document the change process in their communities. Data for case studies will be generated from several research methods. The primary method will be participant observations of community organizers, as documented in their ethnographic field notes, meeting minutes, and documents and information gathered from community settings. All data will be used to develop case study narratives. The purpose of all analysis will be to describe how we can develop evidence for obesity prevention in real world, complex settings.

PROGRESS: 2012/07 TO 2018/07
Target Audience:1. African Americans in Chester, SC; socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged. Local and county government; community-based organizations with an interest in obesity prevention, healthy eating, and active living; faithbased organizations; and local farmers. 2. Select coalitions or organizations addressing childhood obesity prevention, service learning and field preparations courses at local colleges and universities. Local non-profits, state agencies, faith-based organizations, community members, and parents that are nutrition program providers, provide direct services to youth, and/or interested in developing a coordinated effort in the Midlands and state. 3. Community Leaders, including farmers, chefs, government agencies whose work relates to food production agriculture, and eaters who care about supporting local food production are part of the Midlands Food Alliance whose goals are to advocate and educate for a sustainable, equitable, localized food system in the Midlands of South Carolina. Local, state, and federal agencies and nonprofit staff in the Midlands of South Carolina whose work relates to food production agriculture and are interested in stewarding a more robust local food system in the SC Midlands. Forty-three participants from around South Carolina who are new and beginning farmers or interested in becoming a farmer in South Carolina. These farmers will be community leaders in that most are wanting to produce food to sell in their local communities through both retail and wholesale markets. Some participants' goals are to sell directly to schools and preschools in their region. Target audience: community members who live near these farmers and school districts who live near these farmers. Changes/Problems:Publication has been slower than anticipated but we continue to write, revise, and respond to reviewers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?See goal 1. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?See goal 1. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2012/07 TO 2018/07
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. In the COPASCities research and education project, we explored capacity building with University of South Carolina graduate and undergraduate students, community coalition partners, and community organizers. Two graduate students were trained through COPASCities. One has completed her PhD in 2015 using ethnographic data to evaluate a media advocacy toolkit she developed and trained community members to use. Undergraduate Students Nutrition and Food Systems Seminar is a case study based course that guides students through key economic, ecological, public health, and social justice issues to understand the food system. Students complete reflection papers to connect their personal experiences with the food system to course content. At the end of the course, students write and record "Stories of Self, Us, and Now" a community organizing narrative framing tool that we also used in community settings. We have one paper under review describing this course content and outcomes. To date, 80 students have completed this course with grades of B or better. Nutrition and Food Systems Capstone is a service learning and leadership course in which students identify community partners working for food systems change and work with them to complete a practical experience in food systems change. We engaged in a variety of different leadership development activities, including racial equity and anti-oppression trainings. To date, 45 students have completed this course with grades of B or better. Cooking Up a Storm:Globalization, Localization, Food and Health in The South draws from many disciplines to understand the social, ecological, and public health issues related to food systems change in the southeastern United States. Students cook, develop polyculture garden plans, and trace food through history to understand the connections between social and food issues over time. To date, 68 students have completed this course with grades of B or better. Nutrition and Food Systems Minor reaches students across the University with students majoring in Business, Biology, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Psychology minoring in Nutrition and Food Systems. To date, 45 students have graduated with a Nutrition and Food Systems minor. Many of our minors obtain employment in food systems change, including students who manage farm-to-school program, school gardens, and community farm programs. Some of our students have continued on to complete graduate work in nutrition or public health. Service Learning Course Development English 102: Rhetoric and Composition: Food Issues and SLIS 202: Introduction to Information Literacy and Technology to developed an obesity prevention service learning component. SC Community Leaders were reached through participatory research, symposia, briefs, cases, and action institutes. In Y1, we assessed the capacity of obesity prevention coalitions at the state and local level to implement food systems change. Sixty four community leaders participated in at least some of the survey. We found that 46 respondents felt that their coalitions had a mission to change food systems in some way. About half of the respondents (53%) reported that they had not implemented any of the 12 evidence-based food systems change strategies identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most frequently used strategy was using the Food Environment Atlas to identify priorities for food systems change. We conducted a Q statement study by identifying obesity prevention strategies in the local mainstream media, conducting cognitive interviews to turn statements from the media into broadly understood survey items and asked 106 participants to rank these methods using Q methods. We found that the state coalition was widely split from local obesity coalitions around issues of SNAP regulation and a focus on physical activity policy. Local coalition members preferred focusing on issues of parental responsibility. Each year we hosted a day-long symposium as a convening meeting for our 95 partners and other leaders.The themes of each of these symposia were:Healthy Food Access, featuring Diane Harris, Centers from Disease Control; Food and Environmental Justice, featuring SC Representative Harold Mitchell; Dietary Guidelines and Community Rights, Paul Cienfuegos, Community Rights US; Building and Strengthening Collaborations to address food security in the southeast, featuring Richard Lucas, US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service; Communicating for change, featuring Tom Baranowski, Baylor College of Medicine; Bridging Gaps, Linking Communities featuring Mariana Chilton, Drexel University; Local Solutions, Global Challenges, Roni Neff, Johns Hopkins University. To share our experiences with creating food systems change in communities we published a series of 17 policy and practice briefs.As a training tool, we developed four decision cases based on dilemmas we found in our organizing work.We offered 4 sessions in a "Strengthening Healthy Food Systems certificate program. The sessions are: uncovering our food system through photo voice, community organizing for healthy food systems, designing issue campaigns, and advocacy. Additionally, we offered a capacity building institute on framing to help community members shift the community focus to policy and environmental strategies for obesity prevention in their communities. This framing institute includes 3 sessions (visioning, media advocacy, and media relations). Capacity building institutes were offered to fifty-nine leaders completed the including leaders from the Historically Black Colleges, Benedict College and Allen University, the Consortium for Latino and Immigrant Studies PASOs program, and USC College of Social Work Program. Goal 2. Each of our community partner campaigns has developed in ways that helped us to better understand community organizing for food systems change. Campaigns included organizing neighbors to support a rural library community garden; organizing community members to hold a City government accountable for the development of a community kitchen; using advocacy to obtain school food systems data so that farmers could plan for upcoming farm-to-school demands; using media advocacy to create a transparent SNAP double bucks program in the State. Ethnographic evaluation of community organizing. Over the course of this project, we collected approximately 75 ethnographic notes, key informant interviews, and documents for each of 6 partner communities. Our team of 5 data analysts worked for most of Y5 reviewing, coding, analyzing and developing consensus about the meanings of data in the codes. We identified and drafted papers based on these data. In the Y5 extension, Dr. Jones drafted a four chapters of a seven chapter book manuscript based on the ethnographic data. Efforts to organize, publish, and share findings are under way, with papers in the review process and the book development ongoing.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2012/07 TO 2018/07
1. Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Jones, Sonya J., Jason D. Craig, Mindi Spencer. Teaching Food Systems. Under review, Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.
2. Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Draper Carrie L., Greg Sprouse, Hallie Carde, Sonya J. Jones. Comparing Farmers Market Characteristics and Key Informant Perspectives Based on the Status of SNAP Programming Offered. Journal of Planning Education and Research, revisions under review.
3. Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2020 Citation: Draper, Carrie L., Sonya J. Jones, Holly Pope. Photovoice of SNAP participants views on Double Up Food Bucks Programs. Journal of Planning Education and Research, revisions under review.
4. Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Jones Sonya J, Dennis Lanigan. âSummary Statements on Nutrition and Sustainabilityâ in Public Health Nutrition: Rural, Urban and Global Community-Based Practice. Eds. Barth MM. RA Bell, K Grimmer. New York: Springer, 2021., pp.413-430.
5. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pope, Holly, Carrie Draper, Nick Younginer, Chris Paget, Amy Mattison-Faye. Increasing Access to Produce in South Carolina through the SNAP-Ed Program: Focus Group Findings. UofSC Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Accessed at: https://dmsbcam.sc.edu/study/colleges schools/public health/documents/increasin g access to produce in sc through the snap-ed program.pdf
6. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Schweer, Bethany, Carrie Draper. âPrevent. Donate. Compost:A Review of Policies to Reduce Food Waste and Recommendations for Future Efforts. UofSC Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Accessed at: https://dmsbcam.sc.edu/study/colleges schools/public health/documents/mar17 pre vent donate compost brief.pdf

PROGRESS: 2014/07/15 TO 2015/07/14
Target Audience:This project has two goals: (1) to increase the capacity of SC community leaders to prevent childhood obesity through food systems changes, and (2) to catalyze and describe the process of food systems change in four communities. Capacity building audiences reached Capacity Building Institutes: 4 community coalitions completed pre-assessements and at least some of food system certificate program 6 undergraduate enrolled in first nutrition and food systems course at USC (3 male/3 female)(2 African-American/4 White) Community change audiences reached End Hunger SC started a food share program, that reaches 21 families Organic Helpers of Chester has engaged community members around two campaigns: community kitchen and a safe routes to school program. Community Kitchen Campaign- 14 Community Members & 3 Community Partner Organizations Safe Routes to Chester High School Campaign- 25 Community Members & 14 Community Partner Organizations Midlands Local Food Collaborative: -Future of Midlands Farm and Food Summit: On August 4th, 2014 the MLFC hosted The Future of Midlands Farms and Food Summit. Over 100 farmers, Ag educators, chefs, extension agents, food writers, producers, and eaters gathered to discuss the most pressing issues involving farming and eating in the 50 mile radius surrounding Columbia, South Carolina referred to as "The Midlands". After the summit, community members had selected four areas of focus for Midlands food systems work (Farm to School/Farm to Institution, Land Access, Agriculture Education, and Farm Labor). -Agency Stakeholder Meeting: The MLFC held an Agency Stakeholder Meeting with over 50 participants of agency employees who work in agriculture in the Midlands of SC to highlight the importance of networking with other ag-related agencies and the opportunity to steward farmers interested in growing food in SC. Midlands Food Alliance: -After the Future of Midlands Farm and Food Summit, no local-food-focused, grassroots entity existed to work on the issues selected. The Midlands Food Alliance was formed the last week of September 2014 as a grassroots group under the nonprofit Sustainable Midlands umbrella to advocate and educate for a sustainable and equitable, localized food system in the Midlands of South Carolina. The group has twenty charter members and has met monthly since September 2014. Changes/Problems:Our partnership with Eat Smart Move More SC has come to an end. This year, we had Eat Smart Move More SC lead the capacity building efforts, but recruitment was challenging through their local coalitions. In the coming year, we will not be partnering with the state organization, but will instead do capacity building institutes through local Historically Black Colleges and Universities and USC. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Described above as part of our capacity building efforts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In our publications and products, we have listed the policy and practice brief series which has had broad reach in obesity prevention circles. We also use the brief series to develop partnerships with local decision makers and coalitions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Policy and Practice Briefs The following brief topics are planned for year 4 --Community eligibility provisions in SC (schools opting in) --Hunger in the military, healthy incentives in military commissaries --Foodshare case study --Senior hunger --Successful studies of people organizing --Conduct post interviews for evaluation of food systems institutes and analysis Decision Cases Analysis and Writing. We plan to write ethnographically informed decision cases on the following topics. --Chester and the bus --FOIA and farmers --Lack of participation at Brookland Event --FOIA isn't nice Manuscript development --analyzing interviews with fm managers, write manuscript --write manuscript on photo voice results Capacity Building Institutes --Food System Certificate Program --Service Learning for Benedict College Students --Service at USC --Community Health Workers at Eau Claire and PASOS --Gamecocks Live Well --strategy chart training Organizing opportunities --Richland 2, maybe Chester, Lexington districts (some) could do community eligibility --MFA-structure for long-term and for leadership; hosting potlucks/building relationships to build more representative membership; food guide; issue campaigns-TBD (possibly community eligibility); grant applications for farm tour and food guide --Child Hunger SC-build awareness and partnerships (AKA, AME/WMS); expanding summer feeding sites and getting feedback about challenges; 2 Bills going through Congress about summer feeding; getting more resources/planning for next summer; Backpack programs-building partners (service learning-both college and high school students; DHEC dietician partnership); Benedict/USC advocacy partnership --Chester-membership and volunteer recruitment, Community Kitchen and Safe Routes to School campaign, community partnership development, applying for grants Food system minor --promoting program with advisors --promoting courses --teach the courses Survey --nationwide survey of community organizing efforts around food system change

IMPACT: 2014/07/15 TO 2015/07/14
What was accomplished under these goals? Capacity Building During Year 3, we focused on the implementation of our capacity building institutes across SC communities. We worked with our partner, Eat Smart Move More SC to identify four communities that had planned to create food systems changes and felt that they needed a better understanding of how to create such chances. In each community, we collected a pre-assessment interview with the obesity prevention coalition and worked with them to schedule the four part training series. One community coalition backed out after the pre-assessment, citing competing priorities. One coalition completed the first training, but failed to schedule follow-up sessions. Two coalitions completed the series. We will be conduction the post assessment during Y4 with each of these coalitions. We attempted to replace coalitions with new coalitions or community groups, but we found recruitment to the groups challenging given the shifting funding environment for coalitions (no Community Transformation Grant funding to spur food system change activities) and the inconsistent membership of coalitions. We also developed a series on framing messages and communications which was delivered with two of our partner groups. The training series was developed as part of the dissertation work of Dr. Casey Childers, who conducted an ethnographic evaluation of the capacity building process. She found that At USC, we started the Nutrition and Food Systems Minor Course this year and offered two new courses, Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior 488 and 489, Nutrition and Food Systems Seminar and Capstone. We had 6 students enrolled in 488 (Fall) and 4 of them continued onto 489 in the Spring semester. Student Capstone projects included engaging college students in the Real Food Challenge and analyzing the cafeteria options according to Real Food Challenge criteria, working in local schools for changes to food offerings, and developing a nutrition program for dancers at USC. We published four policy briefs this year (see publications). We have had 453 visits to the briefs page on our website, with our most popular brief on farmer growth and representation in October 2014. Director of Food and Nutrition Service, Audrey Rowe and her communications director, Johnathan Monroe, frequently citesthese briefs. Catalyze and describe the process of creating food systems change for childhood obesity prevention Conduct comparative case studies in 4 communities We recruited four communities in Y1 of this study. At the end of Y2 we made some changes to our partnerships. We will provide a summary of our previous andcurrent case study partner communities here. Community 1. Eastover SC. We developed a partnership with the Eastover Lower Richland Business Association to develop a community garden in the community's public library for the purpose of engaging community members in a food systems change campaign. After Year One, ELRBA withdrew from the project due to the retirement of the director, but we were able to continue working with the main partners, Richland County Public Library and the Town of Eastover to organize parents and young adults to build the community organization that would grow a community garden. We engaged in door knocking campaigns, events, and issue campaigns to engage residents of Eastover in the garden. The garden was plowed and planted and food harvested primarily by one individual who we were funding as an organizer on a limited basis. Due to the lack community interest or engagement in the project, we decided that COPASCities no longer had a role in the maintenance of the community gardening program. Community 2. Chester SC. Organic Helpers was developed to organize people in Chester who struggle with access to food to have a voice in decisions being made in Chester about food access. Organic Helpers now has a regular participant in the local obesity prevention coalition, Eat Smart Move More SC, a longstanding community coalition that has access to resources and technical expertise for obesity prevention. Organic Helpers engaged in community organizing to ensure the development of a community kitchen as part of the new farmers market in a low-income, predominantly African-American community. They continue to push for transparency and the formation of a community advisory board to govern the community kitchen. The kitchen is scheduled to open in September. Organic Helpers participates in a community gardening program at the farmer's market that teaches mothers participating in TANF to grow food. Organic Helpers started a new campaign to create safe routes to school this year and they attended and gave testimony at school board meetings, hosted a walk-to-school day, and they have won the victory of some sidewalks being installed along routes that they identified. They continue to stuggle with building a wide based on engaged citizens. Community 3. Richland, Lexington, and OrangeburgCounties, SC (Farm-to-School Organizing) The Midlands Local Food Alliance, a grassroots group of farmers formed by the agency coalition, Midlands Local Food Collaborative was formed to realize the goals of a food summit organized in September of 2014. The first activity of the Alliance is to develop a local food directory as way to understand who their potential base of membership is and engage those farmers. Farmers in Orangeburg school districts wanted to gather information to determine if it made good business sense for them to grow food for the local food system so they organized and called school district officials to request prices lists from the districts. The districts were non-responsive, so two Freedom of Information Act Requests were made for the price lists. The information provided was only partially responsive, so the farmers are continuing to make requests for the information so that they plan the years crops. Community 4. Richland County, SC (SNAP Double Bucks Organizing) Growing out of a coalition of citizens concerned about food security in Richland County, End Hunger SC has been working on a campaign to encourage the state to implement the SNAP Healthy Bucks program, which was funded via a legislative proviso, but was delayed in implementation by the agencies. Through our organizing efforts, the Healthy Bucks program was implemented in 10 farmers markets across the state this spring, and we conducted a photo voice study with SNAP participants and interviews with farmers market managers to better understand the barriers to participating in the program. This participatory study had the dual purposes of engaging a base of citizens statewide in advocacy for continued state funding for the program and providing information to the implementing agencies about how to best advance the goals of Healthy Bucks. We completed a photo voice study with double bucks participants, non-participants, and interviews with farmers' market managers. Ethnographic description We conduct a weekly interview with each of our organizers and organizer supervisors, maintain field notes, and gather film, photos, news articles, and other material. We conduct a quarterly review of data and summarize. This year, we began the process of developing ethnographic sketches of each of the case study communities and outlining the planned book.

PUBLICATIONS: 2014/07/15 TO 2015/07/14
1. Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Under Review Year Published: 2015 Citation: Childers, C. (2015, May). Building Capacity For Advocacy For Local Food Systems Change: An Ethnographic Study Documenting The Process Of Change In South Carolina Communities (Dissertation). University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health.
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Welborn, K. (2015). Farmer Perspectives & Farm-to-School Insights. In Healthy Eating in Context: Building and strengthening collaborations to address hunger, poverty, and nutrition, in the Southeast. Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Childers, C., Jones, S. J., Thrasher, J. F., & Gant, J. (2015, March). Advancing the Understanding of the S.C. Media Environment Surrounding Local Food and Childhood Obesity Through a Media Content Analysis. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Nutrition Symposium & Inaugural Meeting of the Southeastern University Consortium, Columbia, SC
4. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Welborn, K. (2014). The Local Food Movement: The Demand for Local Food and Lessons from the SC Midlands. Panel Discussion presented at the SC Farm Bureau Federation Annual, Myrtle Beach, SC.
5. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Jones, S. J., Pope, H., Childers, C., Draper, C. L., Wilson, M. J., Craig, J., & Caleyachetti, A. (2014, July). Childhood Obesity Prevention in S.C. Communities: Framing Food Systems Change for Obesity Prevention. Paper presented at the Annual Directors Meeting at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, Milwaukee, WI.
6. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Welborn, K., & Draper, C. (2014, October). Midlands Food System Projects. Panel Discussion presented at the SC Food Policy Council?s From Farm to Fork.
7. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Draper, C., Jones, S., & Pope, H. (2014, July). Creating Food Systems Changes through Community Engagement: Strategies and Perspectives. Paper presented at the Community Development Society Annual Meeting, Iowa.
8. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2105 Citation: Draper, C. (2015, March). South Carolina SNAP healthy bucks program: from inception to evaluation. , Columbia, SC. Oral presented at the The annual meeting of the South Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Columbia SC.

PROGRESS: 2013/07/15 TO 2014/07/14
Target Audience: Our target audiences during Y2 were (1) SC community leaders for childhood obesity prevention, including local coalition members, and (2) families at risk of childhood obesity because they lacked access to healthy affordable food. Changes/Problems: The purpose of this project is to catalyze and describe the process through which community members create policy, systems, and environmental changes in for obesity prevention. We are using community organizing as the model for this kind of change because it focuses on local leadership, using the strength of numbers to create change, requires a transparent democratic process that includes research. The first steps of community organizing are focused on building the base of people who can support the changes needed to prevent obesity. Our first challenge in doing this work was that the community organizers we initially hired were unable or unwilling to build relationships with people who were at risk of childhood obesity because they lacked access to food. We required that they use traditional community organizing tactics to reach these populations in their communities. Knocking on doors, hosting community meetings, speaking in public, were alll cited as "things we don't do here". We had a complete turnover of community staff in the past year. In all our partner communities, save one, we have identified an organizer that is better able to work with diverse populations in an open and egalitarian team. In the community where we have had a second organizer for over a year, the organizer has used all of these approaches to engage the community, garner media attention, hold decision makers accountable, and develop leadership among people in the group. Our second challenge in doing this work was well anticipated, and provides rich information about what processes are required to create environmental change in communities. Specifically, we have found that existing community inequalities are surfaced quickly through organizing techniques. From having the community-based partners of low-income, Black adults left off the bus to make room for city council members to visit a community kitchen to having our community partners be offered t-shirts for packing produce at the market rather than pay, we have seen how existing inequalities oppress and discourage involvement in creating systems change. Our community organizers and the base of people they are organizing to increase acces to healthy foods have all felt the burdens of challenging the existing power relationships in their communities. Our third challenge in catalyzing change was that we assessed the capacity of the coalitions to use a variety of approaches to systems change, and we found that most were neither interested nor experienced in using community organizing strategies. Thus, we have had to work along side and sometimes target the coalitions with a base of community members to encourage them to be more inclusive and allow people affected by their decisions an opportunity to participate. Our community organizing supervisors have spent more time in the field doing direct action organizing as a result. In one community, we are seeing these efforts pay off as now the community-based members are active participants in the coalition and see their role as bringing the voice of people who lack access to food to the coalition. We planned to do capacity building around the approaches, based on the assumption that our partner communities would be selected because they understand and wanted to change something about their community's food system. However, we quickly learned that the commitment to and understanding of food systems change was often motivated by the availability of funding for such projects through ACA Prevention Funds. Coalitions had not done a full analysis of their food system, what needed to change, and why. Thus, we re-designed our capacity building institutes to help orient coalitions to not only the approach(community organizing for food systems change) but also an analysis of food policies, systems, and environments related to childhood obesity. Darcy Freedman left USC and is no longer part of this investigative team. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? As goal 1 was to build capacity, we described our training and professional development opportunities there. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have disseminated study results through community meetings in partner communities, through the development and dissemination of our practice brief series, through our annual meeting of all partners the Symposium, "Healthy Eating in Context", and through conference presentations. Conduct a comparative case study of photo voice studies. Organizers work to catalyze community actions What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In year 3, we said we would offer up to five institutes per semester with faculty mentors and an average of 10 community leaders per institute. We plan to offer the Strengthening Healthy Food Systems series in 3 communities with an average of 10 participants. And the Framing Institute series in 2 communities with an average of 10 participants. We will continue to romote and monitor minor enrollment; provide advisement support for minor's and certificate's departmental home. We will continue to write policy and practice briefs that provide guidance and support to communities seeking to prevent childhood obesity through food systems changes. Community organizers will catalyze issue campaigns using community organizing strategies in their communities, based on their preliminary training, mentoring, and base building efforts during this year. In Chester SC organic helpers and the Chester ESMM coalition will continue to advocate for community uses of the new community kitchen and farmer's markets, support the development of raised bed gardens for mothers participating in TANF, and work on a transportation plan for children living within two miles of schools that do not have safe routes to schools. In Eastover SC we will continue to identify and train young people who can organize youth in the community to engage and lead thecommunity gardenplanted this year at the town library and supported by the City of Eastover. We plan to hire an organizer by mid-year. In Midlands Local Food Collaborative, we plan to continue building the base of farmers that can participate in a food hub that could serve local schools. A policy barrier for them are the uncertainties surrounding the impact of Food Safety Modernization Act rules expected to be released soon. We are convening them in a food summit to discuss the rules in August. In ESMMSC, we will continue to build the capacity of the state organization to support the obesity prevention efforts of their local coalitions by engaging them in our community organizing efforts in other partner communities, having them lead the capacity building institutes, and building the capacity of the advocacy committee to engage local community members in their policy platform, specifically in making SNAP Healthy Bucks programs accessible to families in SC.

IMPACT: 2013/07/15 TO 2014/07/14
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. Build the capacity of SC community leaders to prevent childhood obesity using policy and environmental strategies. During Y2, we have written and disseminated four policy and practice briefs via our website, facebook, and print versions with decision makers and interested community members. We re-designed the Capacity Building Institute series. One brief reached 81 people via facebook unfortunately our website analytical data was not available but our policy briefs have been frequently accessed in the past. Others were recently published, and we will provide reach data in coming years. We are now offering a series of4 sessions in a "Strengthening Healthy Food Systems certificate program. We have completed one institute (all4 sessions) in one community with 10 community leaders. The sessions are: uncovering our food system through photo voice, community organizing for healthy food systems, designing issue campaigns, and advocacy. Additionally, we have designed and will offer a capacity building institute on framing to help community members shift the community focus to policy and environmetal strategies for obesity prevention in their communities. This framing institute includes 3 sessions (visioning, media advocacy, and media relations). The first session of this institute has been completed in one partner community. The remaining sessions will be completed in late summer 2014. We have 9 students enrolled in the required minor courses in this inaugural year of the Food Systems and Nutrition minor. We funded two courses (English 102: Rhetoric and Composition: Food Issues and SLIS 202: Introduction to Information Literacy and Technology) to develop an obesity prevention service learning component. Students provided service in the South Carolina Farm to School Program, The Organic Helpers of Chester, SC, Midlands Local Food Collaborative, and USC School of Public Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities – COPASCities, Soda City Farmer’s Market, City Roots Sustainable Farm, Harvest Hope Food, Preston Learning Community-Garden Plot, Richland County Public Library, and Cocky’s Reading Express. Goal 2. Catalyze and describe the process through which community-based teams develop practice-based evidence for childhood obesity prevention. Q- study. We used the Y1 media analysis to identify strategies for childhood obesity prevention. The strategies were then developed into Q statements and those Q statements were cognitively, tested and modified based on the interviews with 19 cognitive interviewees. To date, we have completed 103 Q statement interviews in our partner communities. We plan to limit the sample to our 4 partner communities given then intensity and the need to provide incentives to community members for participation. We have presented the results of these studies back to one of our community partners to date. All of our organizers have been trained to keep ethnographic field notes. All organizing staff attended the Midwest Academy for Community Organizing. Organizers actively participated in Q statement data collection and will continue to be engaged in the process of disseminating findings. Mentoring community organizers and develop group processes for generating and reviewing case data. Organizing supervisors meet with community organizers on a weekly basis to mentor community organizers. The process for evaluation is capturing the mentors’ experiences and community organizers’ experiences on a weekly to bi-monthly basis. Over the past 2 years, each team member has developed a rapport with the community organizers and community members from partner communities through trainings, interviews, mentoring, and activities. This relationship building process is captured in interviews on two levels: 1) content, as cooperation and guidance is discussed; and 2) openness, as those interviewed are willing to freely discuss challenges, barriers, along with successes. During each staff meeting, community successes and challenges are openly discussed. Very significant discussions are recorded and transcribed for documentation of processes for communities. Development of ethnographic case studies. From the themes and storylines identified in the interviews with community organizers and coalition members, the following outline has been drafted to be further developed. We plan to develop the ethnographic studies into a book of cases. Introduction Why we do this work What will have to happen Frameworks used The culture of nice Reconciling norms in the southern culture with values embraced by community organizing Mobilizing people vs. mobilizing individuals to make changes Resistance to shifting power among the powerless and the powerful. Getting those without power to realize how much power they have (i.e., SNAP/underserved). “….We have issue with using the term ‘Community Organizer’” Organizing on a state agency level Two resigned, two fired Challenges and strategies of training and managing community organizers Community organizer vs. a coordinator Getting community organizers to think strategically and not rely on community organizer trainers or permission from groups (i.e., advocacy group) The time Jasmine cancelled the trip with the community members to visit the community kitchen. Tammy’s role in reconciliation with community members. Erin’s experiences of realizing she is not a fit for a community organizer position You’re not hearing me! -How wealth and power influences why poor people and minorities are not heard -How organizing approaches give a voice Additionally, an outline has been developed to further explore, through film, the development of the Organic Helpers, a local coalition for improving Chester’s food system; and how community organizing approaches were implemented to advance an issue campaign for the completion of a community kitchen.

PUBLICATIONS: 2013/07/15 TO 2014/07/14
1. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pope H, Jones S, Childers C*. What do community coalitions need to be effective policy, systems, and environmental change agents? Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Boston, MA. November 4, 2013
2. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: LaShonda Williams, Bri Farber, Carrie Draper, Sonya Jones. Buying Power, Community Power: Increasing Access to Produce through Bulk Produce Buying Clubs. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Arnold School of Public Health. http://nutritioncenter.sph.sc.edu/doc/Bulk%20Produce%20Buying%20Clubs%20final%2 03.17.2014.pdf
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jones SJ. Copascities: Working together for food and systems change. Oral presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Boston, MA. November 4, 2013.
4. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pope, H. & Jones, S. July 21-24, 2013. Charleston, SC: An evaluation for planning a capacity building training institute for community coalitions engaged in policy, systems, and environmental changes. Poster Presentation at the 2013 Community Development Society Conference.
5. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Carrie Draper and Sonya Jones. SNAP DOUBLE BUCKS PROGRAMS: Increasing Access to Produce While Supporting Small Farmers & the Local Economy. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Arnold School of Public Health. http://nutritioncenter.sph.sc.edu/doc/Double%20Bucks%20FINAL%20DRAFT.3.7.2014.p df
6. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Community Kitchens: Fostering Relationships, Economic Development and Access to Fresh Produce. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Arnold School of Public Health.
7. Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Carrie Draper. Summer Feeding Program Utilization in the Midlands of South Carolina. Policy and Practice Brief Series. Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. Arnold School of Public Health.
8. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Draper, C. (2014, May). South Carolina program: ?SNAP Healthy Bucks?. Panel presenter at the Healthy Incentives Workshop: Perspectives from the Field of the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research, Washington D.C.
9. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Draper, C., Caleyachetty, A., Pope, H., Childers, C., and Jones, S. (2014, March). Informing framing and community organizing efforts for childhood obesity prevention in South Carolina through the use of Q statements. Presented at the annual symposium of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, Columbia, SC.
10. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Draper, C., Wilson, M., Eisele, E., Hall, L., Tanner, C.(2013, October). Organizing 101. Presented at the 2013 Obesity Summit of Eat Smart, Move More SC, Columbia, SC.
11. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Casey Childers, Jim Thrasher, Sonya Jones, Jason Craig. South Carolina media coverage of childhood obesity: Lessons for re-framing advocacy messages to promote local food systems change. Healthy eating in context: Communicating for change and sustainability, March 21.
12. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Holly Pope, Carrie Draper, Mary Wilson, Sonya Jones. Creating food system changes: Community organizers' challenges and successes from those that train and supervise them. Healthy eating in context: Communicating for change and sustainability, March 21
13. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Mary Wilson, Carrie Draper, Holly Pope, Sonya Jones. Food- problem, solution, or both? Healthy eating in context: Communicating for change and sustainability, March 21.
14. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Jason Craig. Asset mapping as a tool to engage community members. American Public Health Association: Think Global, Act Local, November 2-6.

PROGRESS: 2012/07/15 TO 2013/07/14
Target Audience: * South Carolina community leaders working for childhood obesity prevention through Eat Smart Move More SC local chapters * South Carolina community leaders working for childhood obesity prevention through other community-based efforts Changes/Problems: Our primary challenge is this project was related to changes in state leadership that affected our primary partner, the statewide obesity prevention coalition, Eat Smart Move More SC. Their budget and leadership was dimished by state leadership over the past year, leading their executive director to step down. Our community organizing supervisor also left their staff. We adjusted their scope of work and re-envisioned our partnership with them as a result of these changes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Year one has primarily focused on training and professional development. Thus, the above milestones reflect training and professional development goals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Community capacity building survey results were presented to community partners and state agencies. Results were used as a part of the annual State of the Children Report developed with the Children's Law Center. The report is developed for the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children for South Carolina. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Our year one goals were accomplished or will be accomplished by July 14.

IMPACT: 2012/07/15 TO 2013/07/14
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. Build capacity of SC community leaders and USC Y1: Develop, administer, and analyze surveys: 80 surveys administers, 52 completed, data analysis led to submission of two abstracts to conferences. Y1 Develop program proposal, seek departmental, school, and faculty senate approval. Program proposal developed, department and school approval received. Faculty Senate will review in September 2013. Y1: Work with Office of Student Engagement to identify service learning faculty partners. Awarded two service learning course development grants through Office of Student Engagement. Y1: Identify community placement opportunities. Partnerships developed in six communities. Students engaged in early partnerships. Y1: One brief per year per student and faculty. Briefs under development include "farm-to-school and obesity prevention." , "Community capacity for food systems change", "Media and obesity in SC communities", "Photo Voice to Engage Families in Food Systems change" Y1: Conduct a content analysis of strategies recommended. News articles from midlands region analyzed using Framing Theory to better understand how media frames obesity prevention locally. More than 1,000 news articles reviewed and coded. Report being developed. Y1: Conduct semi-structured interviews with up to 30 community members to identify strategies for which leaders have common ground and strategies which are contested. Interview protocol developed and interviews will be completed by July 15. Cognitive interviews of statements completed. Y1 Select communities, hire community organizers; Potential community partner coalitions were invited to apply, interviewed, and selected. Organizers have been hired in four partner communities. Y1: Community leaders participate in capacity building institutes. Capacity building institutes have been planned, and dates scheduled for summer. A photo-voice based institute was held in one partner community in May. Two additional are planned for July. Two food summits were hosted in partner communities. Y1: Organizers participates in additional training. Organizers will attend Midwest Training Institute Training.

PUBLICATIONS: 2012/07/15 TO 2013/07/14
1. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pope H, Jones SJ. An evaluation for planning a capacity building training institute for community coalitions engaged in policy, systems, and environmental changes. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Community Development Society. June 21, 2013. Charleston, SC.
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jones SJ. Copascities: Working together for food and systems change. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association. Boston, MA. November 2013.
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Under Review Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pope H, Jones SJ, Childers CA. What do community coalitions need to be effective policy, systems, and environmental change agents? Presentation at Annual Meeting of American Public Health Association. Boston, MA.