According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.4% of American children between the ages of six and eleven are obese. To address this problem, the Scott County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with Garth, Southern, and Stamping Ground elementary schools to implement Recipes for Life, a cooking and nutrition program for fifth graders. 193 students took a day long field-trip to the Scott County Extension Office where they learned about food safety, kitchen safety, knife skills, measurement conversion, reading recipes, and other aspects of food preparation before getting to cook for themselves. Each participant got to practice their newfound skills while preparing three different, healthy recipes. The children then got to eat their tasty creations for lunch.

In order to have an effective impact, this program required office-wide collaboration. The FCS agent and SNAP-Ed assistant spearheaded the project while the Scott County manager, 4-H, Horticulture, and Agriculture agents each assisted in the program along with a total of 70 volunteers.

Upon completion of the Recipes for Life program, 91% of youth participants reported that they plan to eat more fruits, 73% plan to eat more vegetables, 91% plan to try new foods, and 94% plan to help prepare food at home. Moreover, several students reported that they did indeed prepare one or more of the featured recipes for their family.