Success StoryLeaping Into Nutrition with Edmonson County Youth



Leaping Into Nutrition with Edmonson County Youth

Author: Leticia Hughes

Planning Unit: Edmonson County CES

Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

According to CEDIK, Edmonson County, KY has an obesity rate of 34%, and 15% of Edmonson County residents lack adequate access to food. Edmonson County also has a 29% child poverty rate. The Edmonson County SNAP-Ed Assistant collaborated with local schools, preschools, and the Head Start Agency to deliver nutrition programs to youth in Edmonson County. During 2017 there were a total of 16 youth groups that received the Nutrition Education Program. There were a 120 males, and 124 females with a total graduation of 244 youth participants in Edmonson County. The youth participant’s school grades ranged from Pre-K to 8th grade. The Pre-K participants were taught the LEAP curriculum with a total of 6 hours of contact time where the Edmonson County SNAP-Ed Assistant read them a story, did a physical activity with them, and provided them with a healthy snack. The youth participants in Kindergarten were taught the Professor Popcorn Curriculum with a total of 6 hours of contact time where the Edmonson County SNAP-Ed Assistant provided them with nutritional information, did a physical activity, and a healthy snack. The youth participants in grades 2nd-8th participated in the Super Star Chef Curriculum with a total of 8 hours of contact time where they participated in hands on cooking and gained knowledge of proper food safety practices, nutrition practices, and cooking skills. 


88% of participating youth improved their abilities to choose foods according to Federal Dietary Recommendations. 44% of participating youth improved their physical activity practices, and 52% of participating youth improved their ability to use safe food handling practices more often. 


One local school teacher said, “I am so happy that you were able to come to teach this program to my Kindergartners because teaching this information is not in our current curriculum at school, but it is so important for them to learn.” One preschool participant said, “I went to the grocery with my mom and I told her I wanted to buy broccoli because broccoli is a vegetable, and I am supposed to eat my vegetables.”






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