During the pandemic the Marion County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant was asked to contribute to a summer program involving students from local schools. The Nutrition Assistant teamed up with the Family Resource Coordinator at the school. The theme of the day camp was “Eating Healthy & Get Moving.” The Nutrition Assistant provided resources about My Plate so that the students can be educated on the different food groups and how much of each food they needed to eat each day. Sandwich boards and music were provided so that the students could learn about the food groups and “Get Moving” at the same time without realizing they were actually learning or exercising. Grab bags were also supplied to the students that contained water bottles to use to stay hydrated while they were moving even after the day camp ended. The students enjoyed the program so much that Thank You cards were sent back to the office expressing how much they enjoyed the resources that were provided. The letters contained pictures of different fruits, vegetables and notes saying “This was my favorite part of the day”; “I remember when you would come to my classroom and introduced me to new foods” and “Thanks to you I eat broccoli and different fruits.”

The partnership between the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program and the school Family Resources Coordinator allowed the students within the community access to ways to eat healthy and get moving. The knowledge that the students gained during the Summer Fun day camp will spread throughout the community because each student will share that knowledge with their family and friends.