Diversity commitment
At Edge Nutrition, we recognize the tremendous value students of color bring to the field. In our increasingly diverse country, it is vital that nutrition professionals represent this diversity to best serve patients and clients. In addition, many of our dietary guidelines were designed through a white lens and do not reflect a wide range of cultural foods. This limits the impact these guidelines can have and perpetuates the idea that a nutritious diet requires leaving behind the foods of your heritage and ascribing to a white, European eating style (think about how we elevate the Mediterranean diet and how dairy has always been part of the food pyramid, while lactose intolerance is the norm in many countries).
The pathway to become an RDN requires a four-year undergraduate degree at an accredited university, a master’s degree, and 1200 hours of supervised practice (the internship). Most internship programs are unpaid and cost thousands of dollars, in addition to the cost of college and graduate school. This tremendous financial burden is unattainable for many students. In addition, the vast majority of RDNs in America are white and the demographics of this industry have made very little progress since its inception.
We realize changing the landscape of the nutrition and dietetics profession is not an easy task. It requires a willingness to ask hard questions and an ability to examine personal biases. We need to recruit and welcome diverse students into the profession and step aside to allow them space to do so. Edge Nutrition is committed to this process and continues to look for ways to do this.
For starters, we offer a basic nutrition support program free of cost to two students of color. If you would like to apply for this, visit the Scholarship tab at the top of this page. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and awarded twice per year.
Stay tuned as we announce more updates.
Edge Nutrition is a member of the
Food + Wellness Equity Collective
Also be sure to check out Diversify Dietetics and the great work they do in this area
& The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Doubling Down on Diversity: The Journey to a More Diverse Field
Tamika is the winner of our first Nutrition Support Skills scholarship!
Tamika is a seasoned RDN with a background in public health, corporate wellness and renal nutrition. She began her journey into clinical nutrition in 2020 and is looking to sharpen her skills. Currently, Tamika works at a small hospital in Mississippi. Her lived experiences as an RDN of color are vital to the dietetics profession and we are happy to help support Tamika’s career as a size, weight & food inclusive nutrition professional.
Tamika received a free Nutrition Support Skills course in July 2020.
