Describe the Issue or Situation.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable). Carl D. Perkins Rehabilitation Center. 

The Johnson County Senior SNAP-Ed Assistant initiated a program at the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Technical Center, targeting adult students nearing graduation and independent living. Acquiring fundamental life skills is crucial for their future independence. Given the challenges of reversing unhealthy eating habits, teaching proper nutrition to young adults requires creative approaches. An important topic of discussion was Label Reading, emphasizing the significance of understanding food composition. The session covered nutrition facts, serving sizes, handling instructions, and ingredient analysis using actual food labels. The importance of label literacy in maintaining well-being was discussed, prompting inquiries about sugars, carbohydrates, and fats, and ideal consumption levels per serving.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience. Eight participants.

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

The lesson 'Reading Labels for Every Body' was a take charge kind of lesson for all eight students with health concerns. Students stated that they were amazed about discovering the power of reading and understanding the nutrition facts label. Fifty percent of students commented that navigating labels to monitor serving sizes, saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and carbohydrates was impactful for their health. With renewed confidence, these students felt to be more confident in their dietary choices, shopping independently and making more personalized daily meal plans.