Teaching adolescence the importance of learning basic life skills such as eating healthy and learning basic cooking techniques helps develop and create positive food choice behavior among our future leaders. Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program (KSUCEP) provides low-income families and youth in Kentucky with hands-on nutrition education to combat food insecurity and nutrition-related health challenges. Through the federal funded grant Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), nutrition Extension Assistant, Jhamicah Harbut helps in this effort by conducting nutrition education classes in Fayette County.

As part of the efforts being made by KSUCEP, Ms. Harbut collaborated with the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority youth auxiliary group (ZPB-Y) and a nonprofit organization called Community Inspired Solutions (CIS) to conduct a virtual learning series that addressed key concepts about nutrition, like food preparation and cooking, food safety, and physical activity. Participants attended Zoom classes once a month from August 2020 to December 2020. In class Ms. Harbut walked students step by step through food demonstrations while they prepared the healthy recipe online at home with their siblings or parents. Feedback from participants and their parents included one parent stating their kids fixed the Fruit with Yogurt Orange Dip recipe for breakfast the following day and made Popsicles with the same recipe. Most of the students in the class gave me a thumbs up on zoom for two of the healthy recipes they prepared the Yogurt Orange dip recipe and the no bake healthy cookie recipe. Ms. Martha who is the leader of the Phi Beta Sorority youth auxiliary group (ZPB-Y) stated “That was a great class on Tuesday. I got a lot of good feedback I also have pictures if you all ever need to see some. Can’t wait until the next time.” on 9-4-2020. We have had 15 students participate so far and we anticipate more if any student is interested in joining this awesome virtual learning experience.