The Children Are Listening

Patara Strunk

April 1, 2019

EFNEP Assistant

Perry County, KY

Many students in our local schools rely heavily on the food they receive at school as it provides most of the nutrition some of these youth receive.  Some children are responsible for choosing their own food.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the Perry County school system to teach nutrition to every first-grade student in the county.  The Nutrition Education Program (NEP) assistant taught good nutrition using the LEAP (Literacy, Eating, and Activity Program) for a series of 6 sessions to the schools.  The NEP assistant read a book at each session that highlighted one of the food groups and good nutrition was taught to these students using this method. It was the first introduction to good nutrition for many of these youth.

An email from one teacher stated that the program had an impact on the students as she included this quote from a parent. “My child who is usually a very picky eater has been wanting to try lots of new foods and has been trying to choose healthier snacks when he grocery shops with me”.  

Pre and post surveys done at the completion of the series of lessons showed an improvement of 73% in the area of diet quality.