In June of 2024, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported that 617,998 Kentuckians were participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In 2020, it was reported that SNAP provided food assistance to nearly 220,000 children (Klein, 2024). Alongside this, Jefferson County Public Schools recently expanded their Community Eligibility program, allowing all schools to offer free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income (Hebert, 2023). Although these programs are vital for providing food to many children and families, Kentuckians still struggle with making healthy food choices, particularly doing so on a budget. 

To help assist with this issue, the Jefferson County Extension Service Nutrition Education Program taught the Teen Cuisine curriculum with a summer school group of middle and high school students at Newcomer Academy to begin teaching them about nutrition in an engaging way. The program consisted of 6 classes, where each lesson featured a different nutrition topic, an educational game and/or activity, and a hands-on cooking and sampling experience to reinforce the nutritional message. 

Of the 17 students who completed the program, :

1. 94% improved in one or more core areas, which included diet quality, physical activity, food safety, and food resource management. 
2. More notably, however, the class took a particular interest in learning more about food labels, and 69% of students showed improvement in nutrition facts labels reading and comprehension. 
3. During the food label lesson, several students were particularly engaged in the conversation when it came to sodas and other drinks they enjoyed, and wanted to learn even more about reading the sugar content on nutrition facts labels. 
4. Students were asking very advanced questions about fruit-flavored drinks, and were excited to share their new knowledge with their families after class!