The Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group (WM DPG) wishes to promote membership to students who identify as members of a minority group, along with offering mentorship from seasoned RDNs to minority students. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) philosophy encourages diversity and inclusion by striving to recognize and include all individuals. WM DPG is offering 13 student scholarship memberships to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and to the WM DPG (total value $71 each). In addition, up to five of these fully funded scholarship students will receive structured mentoring from an established WM DPG expert.
Our primary goal is to increase diversity, inclusion, equity, and access in the WM DPG by addressing barriers that prevent minority dietetic students from accessing resources for success in the profession. We have received a grant to assist with recruitment and development of a Student Diversity Membership Scholarship program to provide Academy and WM DPG membership scholarships and mentorship to students of underrepresented groups.
The scholarship will be awarded to thirteen dietetic students. Of these thirteen, up to five interested recipients will also be randomly selected to participate in the mentorship opportunity. Students are defined as those enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, post- doctoral and/or internship programs. Those who have active membership with the Academy and/or WM DPG will be reimbursed, while those who are not active members will have their memberships paid for.
Upon award of the scholarship, five selected recipients will be assigned to a mentor cohort. Mentees are expected to invest at least one hour per month in this relationship throughout the 2022-2023 Academy fiscal year. All communication will be done electronically and at the convenience of the mentor and mentee.
While it is not required, we encourage any student who receives a scholarship to participate in the WM DPG’s IDEA committee.
Applications were due June 30, 2022. Recipients will be announced by July 11, 2022. Thank you for your interest.
Please direct questions to WM DPG IDEA Liaison, Cicely Thomas, at cicelythomasmedrdld@gmail.com.