The Recipe for Life program is offered to every 5^th grader in the Bourbon County, Paris Independent and St. Mary elementary schools.  Two hundred and ninety-seven 5^th graders participated in the 2019 program.   Each year the Bourbon County Extension Homemakers and community leaders volunteer to aid, teach and support this program.

Upon arrival at the event, students were divided into 10 groups and each group has two adult volunteer leaders.  The leaders at each of the 10 tables assist the students with preparing one recipe for all those in attendance.  While preparing this recipe they learn about nutrition, food preparation, kitchen safety/ sanitation and table setting and manners.  Evaluation of the program takes place thru data collection by  pre-  and post testing each student.  

The results of the 2019 fall Recipe for Life evaluation showed nutritional knowledge increasing from 9.26 in the pretest to 15.26 in the post-test, out of a maximum score of 17.   Similarly, cooking self-efficacy increased from 24.65 in pretest to 26.39 in post-test, out of a maximum score of 32 and attitude toward cooking improved from 27.8 in the pretest to 29.39 in the post-test, out of a maximum of 35.  

The highest percentage increases in scores were on questions pertaining to best way to test if meat if sully cooked (78.3% increase in correct answers), safest way to hold a knife when cutting (71.1% increase) and using a cutting board for raw meat (70.7% increase).

After attending the 2019 Recipe for Life the students indicated the following changes in eating habits:

• 90% plan to eat more fruits
• 71% plan to eat more vegetables
• 84% plan to try new foods
• 85% plan to help prepare food at home

The 2019 Bourbon County Recipe for Life was a success!  The data indicates success.  Parents indicate the success – “My son has never shown an interest in cooking and now he is wanting to make us one of his recipes from the Recipe for Life cookbook BY HIMSELF!!!!! I love it.”  Volunteers feel successful – “It is so rewarding to see the fun they are having while learning a life skill.” And most importantly the students indicate success by sharing their positive comments and big smiles.  This FCS agent loves hearing a 5^th grader in a grocery aisle say to his parent “Did you know that the first ingredient on the label tells us what there is most of in this can.  We learned that at Recipe for Life.”