Summer Fun in the Sun
Bianca Blakey, EFNEP Youth Program Assistant
Even though the temperatures were in the upper 90s during mid-June to the end of July, I was able to integrate nutrition education with fun in the sun and a little bit of gardening sprinkled in each lesson. I had a total of 100 students ranging from second graders to high schoolers in five Columbus City Parks & Recreation Centers and a YMCA group in the Hilltop area. Summer programming is very different from one lesson to the next. It is important to keep students engaged while also teaching them the importance of making healthy choices.
By integrating gardening into the Extended Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Learning Healthy Together Nutrition Curricula, students learned the process of growing their own vegetables. Each student received a biodegradable container with potting soil and either radish or carrot seeds. Some of the centers let the students take them home and watch them grow with their parents, a couple of the centers did not have much luck with seeing their seeds sprout, and only one of the locations actually were able to plant their carrots into the school garden after they started sprouting. Even though not all of the students were able to successfully watch their seeds grow into a radish or carrot, they learned that taking care of a seed is much like taking care of their bodies. Both need nurturing, water, sun, and nutrients in order to grow healthy and strong.
It was fun to see their faces when I talked about the diseases that can happen if plants are not taken care of properly, as well as, how to keep the garden free of weeds and pesky bugs that can destroy the crops. I made sure that every lesson contained physical activity breaks, hands-on learning activities, and food tastings all following the Covid-19 guidelines and protocol at each location. The students loved eating vegetables in a new way like the bug treats shown in the picture and trying new vegetables like the kale chips recipe listed below.
Please reach out to Bianca Blakey at blakey.26@osu.edu to find out more Information about how to host an EFNEP nutrition education series with your students.