There are over 21,000 children in Kentucky receiving a Homeschool education.  Parents of these children seek educational experiences in the community to meet their standard requirements.  The Boone County Nutrition Education Program Assistant conducted a nutrition and physical activity program series presented to 17 Northern Kentucky mothers and 40 school age children. The classes were promoted through the Boone County Public Library and a local homeschool co-op, The Lively Learning Lab.  The series was held at the Boone County Cooperative Extension Enrichment Center cooking lab equipped with 12 individual cooking stations for hands-on learning.  Families observed a cooking demonstration and participated in a discussion about a nutrition topic before experimenting with the recipe at their own station.  Children examined cookware, tools, and ingredients.  The mothers pointed out how to correctly use kitchen tools for the recipe preparation.  Participants combined ingredients and assembled healthy toppings to produce tasty fare. 

Data indicates 100% of the mothers made improvements in the diet.  One participant, Kimberly A, recommended this series as part of the Life Skills standards.  She pointed out that many homeschool families are a single income family, as one parent takes on the fulltime duty of teaching the children.  Many families are looking for ways manage their food budget.  She commented how creating meal plans will help use the supplies on hand, let the children practice their new skills, invent new family recipes, and make better estimates on serving sizes to avoid waste and overeating which can lead to obesity.