SMART Cafe students enjoying a yummy lunch.
SMART CAFE (www.smartcafe.org)
The SMART Cafe program (Student Mentors Advising Real Time Choices About Food and
Eating) was started in 2012 through a partnership between Louisiana State University
Health Science Center's School of Medicine and ReNEW Sci Tech Academy to address the
increasing occurrence of childhood obesity and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases
in New Orleans. LSUHSC students, along with other health science students from around
the city, sit with elementary school students during lunch, encourage the students
to try all the food on their cafeteria trays (supplied by Revolution Foods), and explain basic nutritional science to the students in an age-appropriate, curriculum-guided,
interactive discussion format. To join, please email us expressing interest and participate
in a training session to be able to volunteer. Our upcoming events will be determined
after an assessment of public interest. Please contact us at smartcafenola@gmail.com 
LSUHSC students sampling the Smart Cafe choices
Faculty Advisor: Julia Tipton, RN, DNS, CPN, CNE
Student contact: Caitlin Simon - csimo3@lsuhsc.edu