According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nearly 45% of children living in poverty are overweight or obese compared with 22% of children living in households with incomes four times the poverty level.  According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) the obesity rate for high school students in Kentucky is at 20.2%, which is the 3^rd highest obesity rate across the nation.  There is no systematic collection of teen obesity rates by county being done as of yet, but we do know that our overall county obesity rate is at 30%.  Here in Christian County many youth the lack knowledge to make healthier food choices and how to prepare them.  While food choices in many households are limited; we felt that exposure to the different types of food available combined with education on nutrition and the preparation of healthy snacks and/or meals could be the key factors necessary for combatting obesity in our county. 

     The Kentucky State University 4-H Program partnered with the Boys and Girls Club in Hopkinsville to develop a cooking program focusing on teens.  The program consisted of twelve afterschool sessions that focused on food and kitchen safety, meal planning/preparation, and nutrition.  The 10 students enrolled, many whom have never prepared a meal before, embraced the opportunity to learn how to pick food, prep meals, and learn about the benefits of eating healthy foods.  

     On the first day of class the students completed a worksheet where they identified the knowledge and skills they already had prior to the start of the program.  Upon completion the students then completed the same worksheet, this time identifying the knowledge and skills they had acquired from participating in the program.  Overall, 80% of the students felt that their meal preparation knowledge and skill level had increased.  Our next goal is to make the project more sustainable by developing different fruit and vegetable dishes utilizing locally grown produce available from the Farmer’s Market and other surrounding farms.  This will have a two-fold effect, giving them the knowledge of where their food comes from and showing them how buying locally helps to support their community.