Success StoryDigging Into Healthy Living



Digging Into Healthy Living

Author: Stephanie Caldwell

Planning Unit: McCracken County CES

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

The McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service joined Lone Oak Elementary School for a month-long summer camp introducing the Organ Wise Guys Gardening Program Forty-one youth ranging in age from 5- 9 years old were in attendance. Weekly sessions included with four stations that incorporated Horticulture, 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences and SNAP-Ed. The program focus was “Grow Your Own Lunch”. 

 

Each week the youth would rotate through the stations learning about how to take care of their bodies eating healthy snacks, physical activities and growing their own foods, 

Youth were introduced to the Organ-Wise Guys through the reading of a book followed with plush toys of each organ. 4-H conducted physical activities, FCS made healthy snacks and horticulture planted a tomato, bell-pepper, and herbs to use in their lunch on the last day of homemade pizza. Youth also enjoyed a surprise visit from Wally Cat. After completing this session survey results showed that the youth improved in the following ways.

 

  • 44% were able to identify healthy snacks 
  • 76% were able to identify when to wash their hands 
  • 81% had improved responses to identify both fruits and vegetables 

 

 

The youth enjoyed seeing where their food came from and how the food tasted after being incorporated into some of their favorite foods. 

 






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