Integrated pest management (IPM) and Food Safety are both rooted in the same principles of prevention and avoidance, sampling and remediation. We are currently working on several projects related to promoting IPM and Food Safety practices and increasing accessibility of
resources among underserved communities. Our new approach integrates Food Safety and IPM to advance public health and resilience of tribes by preventing foodborne illness. Our initiative may serve as a model for how others can engage and deliver integrated Food Safety and IPM programs for the benefit of indigenous peoples and other target audiences. In addition, we recruited undergraduate student interns into our project team. We deployed a series of integrated Food Safety and IPM training opportunities so that our interns could experience real-world scenarios related to pest management, food safety and public health protection. These trainings covered priorities identified by tribal stakeholders, Tribal Extension Agents, pest managers and the communities they serve. Our interns, along with additional high school students, participated in the SaferFoodCats program, an experiential learning research program. Participants engaged in a variety of experiential learning opportunities in food safety, including laboratory experiments, team-building activities, field trips, and research laboratory tours. In addition to hands-on learning, students also researched a food safety issue they presented as a lightning talk at the culmination ceremony. The trainings’ effectiveness was evaluated through follow up surveys and conversations demonstrating learning outcomes.
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