A Pew research study surveyed 4,594 Americans in 2018 found that 51 % of YouTube users say they rely on the video service to learn how to do new things, about 35 percent of all U.S. adults. (Half of YouTube Viewers Use It to Learn How to do Things They’ve Never Done, Patricia Hernandez@xpatriciah Nov 7, 2018, 12:36pm EST, theverge.com).

In a survey released in 2018 of people ages 14 to 23 (Generation Z), YouTube ranked as the highest preferred learning tool. 59% picked YouTube as a learning preference, 57% chose in-person group activities, 47% picked learning apps or games, and 47% chose printed books. (Why Generation Z Learners Prefer YouTube Lessons Over Printed Books, Lauraine Genota, September 11, 2018, edweek.org).

With the onset of Covid-19, Taylor County Cooperative Extension Service was looking for digital ways to reach the community. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Assistant and Family Consumer Science Agent combined resources to establish a county You Tube channel and produce several healthy cooking videos. The Nutrition Educator offered the Easy Breakfast Pizza video as a video challenge to the Taylor County High Culinary teacher for students to complete virtually, and it was shared on May 4.

The next series of four videos feature the Nutrition Educator and her grandson preparing simple snacks for children. They feature recipes for Yogurt Parfaits, Funny Face Snack, Yogurt Fruit Smoothies and Crunchy Munchy Snack Mix. As of June 2, 2020, the six videos have reached 1857 with 259 post engagements on Facebook and a total of 355 views on You Tube. More videos are planned for the summer. A series of Zoom classes in June with Taylor County Public Library, “Snacking with Wally Cat”, will be recorded and added to the You Tube channel.

Comments on the videos included: One family made the Breakfast Pizza for Easter Sunday morning, "This is so good! I made it for my boys yesterday and it was a big hit!" On the Yogurt Parfait, one comment was, "This was so cute!!! Loved seeing him making his treat!!! "