In Jefferson County, community centers serve as a safe place for limited resource youth during the summer when schools not in session.  Many of these community centers are in low income areas with little to no access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  Because of this, many of the youth are used to eating a lot of salty snacks and fast food.  For years, the Nutrition Education Program Assistant from the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service has provided weekly nutrition education programming at community centers throughout the county during their summer camps.  

This summer, the NEP Assistant used the professor popcorn curriculum to teach the youth for one hour every Tuesday.  The participants ranged from 6th to 8th grade.  These youth were taught about My Plate and the amount of food needed from each food group daily. They were taught about the importance of water and whole grains for their bodies.  At this particular summer camp 11youth graduated from the program and 73% showed improvement in their consumption of vegetables and 55% showed improvement in their consumption of whole grains.

One of the previous summer camp participants saw the NEP Assistant later at a family event.  She recognized the NEP Assistant and shared that she was in the military now, and that the NEP Assistant had influenced her to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and try different foods.  She shared that she still does what the NEP Assistant taught her to this day and that it helps her in her travel to different areas of the world to maintain a healthy body.