BCAL Cultural Awareness and Leadership Scholarship

Department of Nutrition and Department of Social Work at MSU Denver in collaboration the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona were awarded a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) grant to develop and implement a Becoming Culturally Aware Leaders (BCAL) Scholars program to develop culturally aware leaders and role models who will be advocates for: diversity in the profession; the profession at large; underserved community members; and for policy change.

This grant provides a $5,000 scholarship and specialized training for ten MSU Denver Nutrition and Dietetics students for one academic year focusing on how storytelling can be used to advance cultural responsiveness and maximize effectiveness of leadership, mentoring, and advocacy. All undergraduate students, graduate students, and dietetic interns are eligible for this academic year program. Additional information about the grant can be found on the Department of Nutrition website at https://www.msudenver.edu/nutrition/diversity/bcal-scholars-program/.

BCAL Scholars will be required to:
• Complete a 10-clock hour Foundations Minicourse (part asynchronous) that includes videos, readings, and baseline assessments, and a half-day in-person orientation.
• Attend monthly in-person Seminars (three per term)
• Participate in a Book Club (one per term)
• Mentor a dietetic student after having been mentored by a dietetic professional (Spring semester)
• Complete a leadership project

Award
$5,000 ($2,500 per term)
Scopes
Nutrition - Dietetics
Deadline
05/23/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. BCAL Cultural Awareness and Leadership
    • In 200-500 words, provide a cultural awareness and humility statement that includes how your lived experiences informs your interest in working with underrepresented communities. This is where you tell your “story.”
    • In 250-500 words answer the following questions: 1) Why did you choose dietetics as a profession? 2) What are your personal and professional goals? 3) How do you think this program will help you achieve your goals?
  2. Do you intend to pursue Dietetics as a career?
  3. Are you willing to commit to the academic school year for this program?
  4. Will you be a Dietetic intern Or a full time undergraduate student (12 credits per semester) Or a full time graduate student (6 credits per semester) for the upcoming academic year?