Childhood obesity is a widespread issue across the United States today. In effort to combat this challenge, it is important that students understand how the food choices they are making impact their long-term health.

Nelson County 4-H partnered with the summer program, Huskie Hangout, at Foster Heights Elementary School to implement the Professor Popcorn curriculum with the 3^rd through 5^th grade youth that attend the summer program each day. Professor Popcorn begins by introducing the students to MyPlate and then each lesson takes a deeper dive into one of the food groups included on MyPlate. At each session of the program, students played a game, completed a physical activity, and enjoyed a new snack. Each snack related to the food group they learned about that day.

A total of 13 students participated in this program. 8 third grade and 5 fourth grade students.

The teacher of the group stated that her daughter, after trying raspberries during the Professor Popcorn program went to her grandparents’ house and ate a whole bag of raspberries that they had. Prior to the program her daughter did not eat raspberries. It is crucial that we continue exposing young people to a wide variety of foods so they can expand their palates. Also, three students that participated indicated an increase in the number of times in week they chose to eat vegetables as a snack.