The problem 

A group of 18 University of Dayton students have come into Magoffin County to spend the summer doing work in the community.  The group is divided into pairs  to prepare the evening meals at the house where they are lodged.  Many of the students have never cooked meals before and needed training on basic knife skills, food preparation/recipe terminology, and how to plan and prepare a well-balanced meal.  Their leader, Meaghan Crowley, met with me to ask if I could teach a class for them, giving them the information and practice that they needed to prepare food. 

The educational program response

As a result of the request, I hosted the students at the extension office and conducted a 4 hour class with the type of information that they requested.  They prepared and shared a delicious meal during the class. I also provided them with SNAP incentive cooking tools and SNAP recipes that they might need in their summer kitchen. During the class, they also asked many questions about the county and its people, which gave them insight about what to expect when conducting their day camp, went to homes of elderly people to do repairs for them, etc.  I discussed with them the many differences of living in a rural, Eastern Kentucky county, versus a large city like Dayton.

The participants/target audience

The audience was the 18 college students who participated.  They came from many different locations in the United States and the world. One student was black, one was Asian, and one Hispanic and although the rest were white, their accents proved that they were from many different places. 

Other partners (if applicable)

Program impact or participant response.

Their leader sent a thank you note sharing with me how much fun that the students had and how much that their cooking skills and meal planning had improved.  She also said that they had gained much useful knowledge about the county which had been very helpful in planning their day camp and other activities.  They have even invited me to come and have dinner with them some evening.