I love bulletin boards! They're so versatile, and they manage to both pep up a space and convey vital information in an engaging way. A good bulletin board can help people with a variety of learning styles access what you want to teach in a way that works well for them. But a balanced, appealing bulletin board does not simply pop into being. It takes work, and I have learned a lot about setting up attractive bulletin boards during my many years at Food and Health Communications. Here are the 4 easy steps to making a fantastic bulletin board.1) Pick a Strong BaseA great bulletin board often has a feature that will draw the eye and dominate a significant portion of the space. A colorful poster with a bold message is often a great way to go here. Some of my favorite displays have featured the following posters...

• How Much Fat is in That?
• Classic MyPlate
• The MyPlate Game

Look for posters without a ton of text. Those can be overwhelming for participants, who are less likely to read walls of words. Instead, seek out posters with key messages in a legible font and lots of pictures to illustrate those points. Focused, engaging posters are key.2) Add Written DetailsIf space permits, posting a handout that goes into more detail about the poster's content is a great way to offer more information to the people who will want it, without turning away those who are more visual or "big picture" learners. Almost all of the posters we sell at our Nutrition Education Store come with handouts that are perfect for this purpose. Or try some of our new handouts and tearpads. My favorites include...

• Shop Smart with MyPlate Handout Tearpad
• Go for the Whole Grain Handout Tearpad
• MyPlate for Pregnant Moms Handout Tearpad

3) Fill out the Board with Your FavoritesFill the rest of the board with a few detail pieces. You can include photos of healthful foods, meals, and preparation techniques, or add a few recipes that could inspire your audience to eat healthfully. We're also huge fans of QR codes, which can link to great websites that offer more details about your subject. To add your own QR codes, visit a QR code generator like http://www.qrstuff.com/. Some of the most engaging things to include are...

• Recipes -- get tons of options for free on my recipe site, or join our nutrition community for access to even more great recipes.
• Photos and Clip Art -- Browse free clip art at my very own clip art site.
• Try an Oil Painting -- I've just put up some oil paintings of fresh and healthful foods. View them here.
• Seasonal Information -- Review the handy food nutrition calendar for seasonal inspiration.

4) Grab Shortcuts When You CanNo need to reinvent the wheel. If you don't have the time or inclination to put together a winning bulletin board, you can still have your cake and eat it too. Check out my bulletin board kits, set up to promote the key ideas for a wide range of subjects...

• MyPlate Bulletin Board Kit
• MyPlate for Kids Bulletin Board Kit
• Calcium Bulletin Board Kit
• Fruit Bulletin Board Kit
• Package of Eight Bulletin Board Kits

-- Judy Doherty, PC IIThis post is brought to you by the Nutrition Education Store. Check out our huge line of new products, or review a few of our favorites below...