Author: Lakesha Reams
Planning Unit: Jefferson County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to the CDC, “nutrition education is a vital part of a comprehensive health education program and empowers children with knowledge and skills to make healthy food and beverage choices” (CDC, Nutrition Education in US Schools, 2021). The COVID pandemic limited opportunities for in-person nutrition education programming with youth. To provide this valuable opportunity, the Jefferson County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant partnered with an elementary school?and provided weekly, virtual?nutrition education programming for students who were learning remotely from home.
The University of Kentucky’s Nutrition Education Program’s LEAP (Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Preschool/Primary) curriculum was implemented, using storybooks and activities to teach children about nutritious foods, healthy eating habits, hand washing, food safety and being physically active. The NEP Assistant made these virtual sessions as interactive as possible by engaging students in the story, incorporating physical activities the students could do at home and using visuals and learning activities to reinforce the message being taught.
** students participated in the program and completed ** lessons. At the conclusion of the program, 71% of the students improved their knowledge of proper handwashing. One student called his mom over to the computer and showed her healthy and unhealthy foods as the NEP Assistant would show them different foods.?On the next virtual class, the student's mom stated that the student had replaced a lot of his snacks with fruits and dips, had been drinking more water, and eating more vegetables with more meals. The mom stated that she was pleased with what her son had learned!
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