With obesity and poor oral health issues on the rise in 2019, more educators in Bell County sought out ways to help make the children in their classrooms healthy and safe. By using the LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for the Primary) curriculum the Bell County Extension Office along with Family Resource Centers and several school teachers, we were able to reach 262 students in pre-school through 3rd grade with educational information concerning these problems.

      The FCS Agent, along with the SNAP ED assistant, visited five schools in Bell County reading a story that encouraged physical fitness, proper oral health, correct hand washing and healthy eating by picking more fruits and vegetables. During the program children listened to stories such as “IQ Gets Fit, Germs, Germs, Germs and Clarabella’s Teeth to help them relate to the topic at hand. The children would then participate in hands on activity relating to the book.

       100 % of all students gained knowledge on the correct way to wash hands and how to brush their teeth using circular motion for the right amount of time. Teachers reported that 85% of the children aspired to incorporate more physical activity in their day while at school.

        The parents of all students received a newsletter containing nutritional information and healthy recipes that they could fix at home with their child. The LEAP program continues to grow each year in Bell County with more and more teachers requesting that it be implemented in their school.