The Pike County Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program Education (SNAP-Ed) has collaborated with the Pike County Board of Education for the last 3 years.

The LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschoolers for Health Curriculum was used with students in grades K-2.  The ‘LEAP for Health’ curriculum is a series of storybooks that help teach children about staying healthy by being physically active, eating more fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains.   

The target audience is children and their parents.   A family newsletter and copy of the recipe that the student tried that day is sent home. 

By the end of the school year, children were able to recognize healthy snacks, identify when to wash their hands, recognize physical activities, and list foods from the fruit, vegetable and dairy.

Two hundred and sixty one students participated in these classes.  Ninety four percent showed improvement in choosing foods consistent with Federal Dietary Guideline recommendations, making better nutrition choices.  Eighty nine percent of children gained skills related to food safety; such as, proper hand-washing techniques and proper times for food refrigeration.  Fifty-two percent improved their physical activity practices.

One child commented, “Ms.  Debbie, Thank you for showing me that eating fruits and vegetables help me to feel better.”