About Train the Trainer

Background

This guide to food stamp assistance was created in response to the clear gap between the level of Idahoans eligible for food stamps and the number who are receiving them. Many people do participate in the Food Stamp Program—over 1 in 7 Idaho residents are receiving food stamps each month. Still, only about 70% of those who qualify for the program were participating.

Concerned about why 30% of eligible Idahoans were not participating, the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force conducted focus groups across Idaho with recipients or potential recipients of food stamps. They found that the two most overarching barriers to participation were misinformation about eligibility and application, and the perceived stigma of receiving public benefits.

Thus, the Train the Trainer program was developed to ensure that advocates and leaders can access important information about the Food Stamp Program in order to, in turn, increase awareness in communities throughout the state. The guide aims to break through misinformation, foster leadership, and ultimately, alleviate hunger by increasing participation in the Food Stamp Program by low-income Idaho residents.

Purpose

The central purpose of the guide is:

  • To provide accurate, timely and consistent information about Idaho’s Food Stamp Program to service providers, advocates, and community groups.
  • To create a network of leaders in the aging, faith, family, immigrant, tribal and emergency food sectors who can dispel myths at the client, community and legislative levels.

How to Use Train the Trainer


Levels of Curriculum Use

Train the Trainer Orientation PDF

The Train the Trainer guide can be utilized in several ways:

  • Independent Learning
    • View curriculum independently online; new employee/intern/case worker orientation
  • Staff Trainings
    •  View curriculum online; using training tool to train others
  •   Community Presentations
    • View curriculum online, self-train; present information in a legible way, engaging audience; design interactive activities

Trainer Expectations

Trainers are responsible for relaying very important information about the Food Stamp Program, and they serve as leaders in the pursuit to tackle hunger and increase awareness about food stamps. All trainers are expected to:

  1. Contact the Task Force to discuss objectives and goals of becoming a trainer
  2. Review all curriculum modules thoroughly
  3. Go over relevant resources to gain further understanding of the Food Stamp Program (i.e. USDA; Idaho Department of Health and Welfare)
  4. Seek information specific to target population (i.e. for seniors, consult AARP resources; for the tribal community, look into the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations [FDPIR])
  5. Revisit the curriculum. Design a presentation that provides vital information about the Program while remaining legible to intended audience
  6. Incorporate any updated data as disseminated by the Task Force to ensure that information remains current
  7. Contact the Task Force with any questions or points of clarification

For more information about Train the Trainer, contact:

The Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force

(208)-639-0030

info@idahohunger.org

For more information about the Food Stamp Program, visit: