During the spring of 2021 when kids would have normally been in school, students in the Newport Independent school district found themselves learning at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For many students that meant being home alone while their caregivers were working. The Buenger Boys and Girls Club opened its doors to those students, providing help with schoolwork and many other learning opportunities.

The Campbell County nutrition education assistant taught seven middle school students valuable nutrition lessons and about the importance of physical activity. Each week the teens gathered around the computer to learned new skills using the Teen Cuisine curriculum. After each virtual session, they used what they learned to work together to prepare and sample one of the healthy recipes from the University of Kentucky Nutrition Education Program calendar. They also received kitchen tools to take home to practice what they had learned and to share with their families. 

Prior to the program, data was collected using a national reporting system. All seven students indicated they participated in 60 minutes of physical activity a maximum of three days per week. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Less than one-quarter of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Regular physical activity can help children and adolescents improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions.”