Author: Julia Wilson
Planning Unit: Hart County CES
Major Program: Food Preparation
Plan of Work: 4-H Youth Development
Outcome: Initial Outcome
According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime. (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.) In the Spring of 2019 the Edmonson County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent was approach by four high school seniors who wished to complete a community service project with the Extension as part of their Honors English Class. Four youth worked with the agent to decide on the project, schedule, plan, and advertise the program. The group decided to work with the FCS Agent to offer four after school baking classes that would focus on 4-H State Fair recipes to help encourage entries at county Rally Day and the County Fair.
The seniors assisted the FCS Agent in teaching the classes and conducting evaluations. Verbal and hands on pre and post evaluations were conducted with the youth. Pre evaluations showed that 100% of youth did not know the difference in wet and dry measures, and 80% had never baked before. Post evaluations showed that 100% of youth learned how to properly measure wet and dry ingredients, how to read a recipe, how to apply fractions to baking, and how to substitute ingredients when needed. In addition 100% of youth also indicated that they felt more comfortable baking than before.