Kentucky as a whole has high poverty and food insecurity rates when you compare it to the United States.  The U.S. poverty percentage is 14.4% while Kentucky alone is an astounding 18.5%.It is estimated that 1,398 children in Knott County, KY are living in poverty.  Since 2007, there has been a 20.8% increase in families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) in Knott County and it is estimated that 5,165 families qualifying for the program.  

The Nutrition Education Program (NEP) assistant working for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recognized a need for education and nutrition assistance within the Knott County school system and partnered with them to allow the NEP assistant to go into the classroom and teach the Literacy, Eating and Activity for Primary (LEAP) youth health curriculum to primary students.The curriculum uses storybooks to teach children about staying healthy, the importance of physical activity and introduces MyPlate guidelines and food groups.  The curriculum can be used for children three to eight years of age.Research has shown that reading to children is the most important activity to ensure academic achievement for youth later in life.  

Beaver Elementary School, located at Topmost, KY, is one of the poorest areas in the county. The only meals that some of these children receive are those provided by the school system and backpack programs.  The recipes provided to accompany the lessons within the LEAP curriculum the NEP assistant uses in the classroom, provides the youth with vital nutrients they otherwise would not have access to.  The hands on experience of preparing their own snacks also provides the students with valuable, basic life skills that can help them to feed themselves when they are hungry.  The NEP assistant also uses visual aids, handouts and group activities to teach students how to recognize healthy snacks and identify foods belonging to specific food groups.  Participants also learn the proper way to wash their hands and protect themselves from germs.  

The work that the SNAP program and NEP assistant are doing in the classroom has proven to be a successful one.  According to Pre and Post evaluations completed before and after the curriculum respectively, 74% of children improved in their ability to identify when to wash their hands.  Nearly 60% of children are now capable of distinguishing between a healthy and not so healthy snack choice.  An impressive 65% of students can also identify foods and the food group they belong too. 

Not all components of success can be measured.  Success is knowing that what you are doing is helping others lead better, happier, healthier lives.  The old saying stands true, Actions speak louder than words, but in this case, they speak louder than statistics.  When you walk into a classroom and the teacher greets you with a smile or children jump out of their seats with excitement, run up to you and give you a hug, you must be doing something right.  Listening to children talk about healthy foods they have never ate before, but now, because of the work you do, have the opportunity to try new things and discover they like them, leaves you feeling very successful. There have been times when I was out in public and had a parent thank me for getting their child to eat a certain vegetable, or they tell you that their child has asked for them to make a recipe that you shared with them in class.  All this incidents show that the program is successful and making a difference in the lives of our participating families.