dawn plumer

program specialist

About

I Manage a student wellness center at the Leech Lake Tribal College. The mission of the Mino-ayaawigaming ( Wellness Center) is to improve the health of our students and their families while providing students with a safe, confidential environment where they can seek advice and ask questions. Balance is important to maintain well-being, and we will support our students in areas of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health while providing a place for students to feel safe, healthy and valued. We offer a private lactation room, counseling space, donated clothing, personal hygiene items, referrals and resources to tribal and local services. We work with the other departments of the college to offer assistance with, and education about, issues concerning health, family, and stress management. We have an open door for students to drop in anytime to ask question about local resources, use of our lactation room, private counseling room, quiet study room, personal hygiene items, diapers, infant snacks, and clothing.

Country

united states

City

minneapolis

Industry

health, wellness and fitness

Skill

microsoft office, fundraising, nonprofits, higher education, public speaking, certified health education specialist, wellcoaches training, community outreach, volunteer management, small business, grants, prevention, program evaluation, program development, public health, teaching, writing, research, grant writing, staff development, leadership development, policy, social services, program management, healthy communities

Experience

â growing-up healthyâ grant assessment coordinator

b-well

2009-1 - 2010-12 · 2 yrs

I developed and implemented program evaluation techniques to plan programming and measure successful project activities within local head start programs. These programs served a large diverse population including the Native American population. I measured the amount of daily physical activity and the nutritional value of the food served to the children. I developed system and environmental policy changes that compelled use of 50% whole grains, one fruit and one vegetable per meal, and least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. With the evaluation findings I was able to select a methodology, design content that was culturally relevant to the area to ensure the sustainability of this programming in local head starts and private daycares. I was also responsible for writing the final report on the program’s effectiveness and to show the psycho-social risk factors or the lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits. I presented the findings to the Board of Trustees of the Beltrami Wellness for Long Life.

research coordinator for the indigenous environmental network

university of minnesota center for urban and regional affairs

2009-9 - 2009-12 · 4 mos

I researched the local and state spending of federally funded services that helped families who qualified for food support through the SNAP program and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. I analyzed how these programs affected the food security and food sovereignty of the Native American populations in the state of Minnesota. The findings of the research helped build a strategic plan and paved the way for future studies on food economies in Minnesota. The planning focused on outcomes to design and implement an environmental intervention of food support programs to address multi-generational poverty. My research was published as “Food Sovereignty and Health Disparities in Northern Minnesota."