Success StoryVirtual Programming for 2020-2021 School Year



Virtual Programming for 2020-2021 School Year

Author: Lora Gullett

Planning Unit: KSU Administration

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

              School year 2020-2021 was a challenge for all schools due to the pandemic and some students doing virtual education, while others wanted to attend in person classes.  To keep social distancing guidelines, school systems had to divide the students, some went the first two days per week, with the other three days being virtual, while the other half of the school did the last two days of the week with the first of the week virtual. Then there were times if the number of Covid-19 cases was high everything was virtual again. Only schools employees were allowed into the schools preventing lectures from outside agencies.  Rowan County Kentucky State University SNAP-Ed has been partnering with the elementary schools to provide nutrition education since it was established in 2017.   Adjustment in teaching had to be made to keep this partnership and provide nutrition education in the elementary schools. A virtual solution presented itself with “Organwise” curriculum being all online, this was a program the schools were familiar with and the teachers were willing to try the program in two of the four elementary schools in Rowan County. The goal of “Organwise” is empowering kids to be healthy and smart from the inside out. Teaching importance of healthy eating to elementary school age kids decreases their chance of developing obesity and chronic disease later in life. 

              “Organwise” revised their curriculum to have lessons from kindergarten through 5th grade using E-Books featuring the Organwise Guys, additional videos, work sheets and activity books purchased for the schools by SNAP-Ed. The Rowan County teachers doing the program opted to use worksheets instead of purchasing workbooks that would require students to keep up with each class. A total of 360 students in the two schools participated in the program. SNAP-Ed requires a pre and post-test be administrate for each class to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. 

              Evaluation of the program and effectiveness is hard to determine since SNAP-Ed assistants were not able to be there in person.  Out of 360 pretest administrated, 221 post-test were returned a total of 61%. Review of those pre and post-test using the Webneers program showed 90% of children in grades K-2 improved in one or more core area and the children in grades 3-5 improved 99% in one or more core area. For all grades 87% (192 of 221) Children and youth improve their abilities to choose foods according to Federal Dietary Recommendation or gained knowledge. Although the school was not in person education like previous years, virtual programming seemed to an acceptable alternative during the pandemic. 

 

 






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