What started out in the school year with a group of youth from one of the local afterschool programs in the Whitley County Area, soon became a true “Family Affair.”  Who would have guessed that a hand held can opener, would spark an adult’s interest into committing to attending the socialization part of the youth program, and recruit adults for the upcoming year? 

The afterschool youth group consisted of a total of 12 students attending on a regular basis, and during this time, the youth were always eagerly awaiting their next class, which by the way, was geared toward academic assistance through tutoring/homework help, healthy eating habits, and introducing the importance of more physical activity.  Ms. Kayla’s youth group was one of the afterschool programs that Cheryl Owens, (EFNEP, Expanded Food Nutrition Extension Program) from the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service collaborated with to fulfill this need.

According to the American Community Survey, it estimates that between 2009-2013 3.3% (+/0.1) of individuals working full time/full year in the previous 12 months were below poverty, and according to 2014-2105 Kentucky School Report Card, Kentucky Dept. of Education, (data for school districts were combined to produce the county total) 54.5% of students were eligible for free lunches and 5.6% were eligible for reduced-price lunches in 2015-2015.  The State of Obesity Report, Better Policies for a Healthier America, 2015 shows Kentucky’s rank among states as follows:  #1- 18.0% high school obesity, #6- 15.5% Obesity among 2 to 4 year olds from low-income families, #8- 19.7% obesity among 10 to 17 year olds, #6- 28.2% Physical inactivity, and #12- 31.6% Adult obesity.  

On the days that the collaborative efforts were being conducted with the Afterschool program coordinator and the EFNEP Assistant, Whitley County Extension Service, the youth met, had their snacks, broke out into their homework tutoring groups, and quickly began completing their tasks.  After the tutoring, etc. tasks were completed, the youth would go outside for their physical activity, and would follow up with their “hands-on” nutritional component.  Not only did their classes consists of things that would interest them, but with the majority of the kids attending, mentioning their younger siblings from time to time, it allowed not only for the youth to become introduced to the LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for Primary), but they were able to share the program through the newsletters, recommended books read, and recipes sent home with them.  One particular class stands out in my mind, and that is when we were discussing about half way into the year, some of their favorite places to eat, and one of the Pizza restaurants was mentioned.  When I asked what they normally ordered when they went, much to my surprise about one third of the class ordered salad.  When asked if their parents insisted on that, they said no.

On the socialization days with the parents, nutritional classes from the “Health Choices for Every Body” curriculum were covered, along with sending recipes home for them to try after trying the samples.   Some of the favorites that were mentioned was the Fruity Cheesy Roll Up Snack, along with two that have seemed to be a real come back each year; and that is the cheap and easy to make, “Magical Fruit Sala,” and the tasty cheap and easy “Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake.”  

At the end of the 2017 program for this particular group, it was a “bitter sweet” time, because the youth talked about how they couldn’t wait until classes could once again start, and how their parents enjoyed the days they were allowed to come.