Utilize resources provided by the Food and Nutrition Information Center of the United States Department of Agriculture, which promotes consumer activities to teach consumers about making good food choices. The Center's SNAP program (see Resources) provides activity suggestions for educators and health professionals. These activities allow facilitators to operate activities which raise consumer awareness regarding maximizing shopping dollars, planning healthy meals, accessing weight-loss recipes and developing healthy eating habits.
Research state and federal departments of energy to find consumer education activities that promote conservation, recycling and use of renewable energy. The California Energy Commission's Consumer Education Program offers a program handbook that provides materials and activities designed to increase consumer awareness about renewable energy technologies and their benefits. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, together with Cornell Cooperative Extension, developed program strategies which engage adults and youth in learning about energy efficiency. The United States Department of Energy maintains a kid's page that provides kids with riddles, puzzles, games, quizzes and experiments which educate individuals about the importance of consumer energy conservation.
Base consumer education activities on the U.S. Department of Education's publication "Classification of Concepts in Consumer Education." The document provides a conceptual framework for creating consumer education materials and activities. The publication gives suggestions for influencing consumers' decision making, resource management and rights and responsibilities in the marketplace. Consumer education, according to the publication, should provide consumers with the data that will allow them to act as informed consumers and become involved in making their voices heard. Consumer education activities must promote social and ecological responsibility.
Identify individuals and organizations that conduct health education activities. These activities provide data to individuals and the community about preventative health care as well as how to access the best health care. Many communities clinics, hospitals and mental health centers offer health education activities through printed materials, personal counseling and group discussions. For other health care consumers, the governmental and medical websites provide the best source of information about health care facts, healthcare choices and preventative medicine.