This presentation will provide insight from one community partner, Special Olympics of Missouri (SOMO) athletes who participated in a teaching kitchen experience spring 2021 at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. The purpose of this session is to share best practices and implications in offering education sessions which provide food and culinary understanding blended with the science of nutrition focusing on evidence-based approaches the meet a given population’s need. This virtual opportunity assisted individuals with developmental disabilities (IDDs) and was provided by undergraduate dietetics and health education and promotion students. Best practices for collaborations between community partners and university departments will be discussed and sample lessons plans will be shared that can be adapted for a variety of audiences.

|Learning outcomes:

• Describe three ways to engage IDDs in active learning strategies that builds community and life skills.
• Demonstrate three strategies to engage community partners transferrable to various disciplines.
• Develop one way faculty can work together to engage students in high-impact practices meeting a gap in equity and inclusion.