Second Chances June 2024

The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment (2023) showed that Nelson County, Kentucky residents identified “Reducing youth obesity through nutrition education and/or exercise” as a high need for the county. Additionally, in 2021, The New York Times published an article that reported about 7% of high school students met the daily recommendations for fruit consumption, and only 2% met the recommendations for vegetable consumption.

The Nelson County Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Program partnered with Heartland Youth Village to provide a school enrichment program to provide nutrition education. Heartland Youth Village is a level 2 inpatient psychiatric treatment facility for youth ages 12-17 in Nelson County.  The KY Nutrition Education Program’s Teen Cuisine curriculum was used to teach high school aged students to provide them with tools and practice to obtain a healthier diet and increase physical activity. 

After each of the 11 lessons taught, a healthy snack was offered. At the conclusion of the series:

1. 100% of the students tried the healthy snacks
2. 75% of students enjoyed the healthy snacks

Students completed an entry and exit questionnaire at the beginning and end of the series. Upon completion of the series, student exit questionnaire data showed:

1. 20% of youth increased in their daily fruit consumption
2. 40% of youth increased in their daily vegetable consumption

Additionally, during the course of the series, a student expressed a concern about food insecurity once they returned home because of their living situation.  The Nelson County Nutrition Education Program provided the student with the phone number for the County Cooperative Extension office for additional resources, as well as the contact information for local emergency food pantries. The student’s response was, “Thank you.  I will never forget everything you have taught me and everything you have done for me to be able to help my mom.”