Building relationships throughout your lifetime is important. It is important to create sustainable relationships and collaborate with community organizations throughout the community. One of the ways Kentucky State University collaborates is through EFNEP. 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 federally 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 continues to collaborate 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 May 2021. In class, Ms. Harbut continues to help students step by step through food demonstrations while they prepared healthy recipes online at home with their siblings or parents. Feedback from participants and their parents included most of the students in the class gave me a thumbs up on zoom for two of the healthy recipes they prepared the no-bake cookie recipe and the basic omelet recipe. Students gave lots of thumbs up when asked if they like the no-bake cookie recipe. When asked for feedback on the basic omelet recipe one of the students said “learned how important grain is to a person diets.” Another student said, “he learned how to properly cook an omelet.” 

Each class we have had a different amount of students. We have had a total of 15 students participate so far and we are open to more joining this awesome virtual learning experience. Students were able to learn Steps to label reading, choose MyPlate daily, food Plan, what food amounts look like, major nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, water, how to chop an onion. The students are engaging in the lessons and also having fun while learning and preparing new recipes. Students will continue to learn new nutrition education and prepare healthy recipes in the virtual learning experience.