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EFNEP Educators collaborate with schools and community agencies that serve
at-risk youth to offer group nutrition education programs. Programs are usually
a four- to six-lesson series held in a school or community setting. We offer
programs for youth of all ages and the focus is on fun, hands-on activities.
Most of our programs are offered during out-of-school time and can include food
preparation when community agencies are able to provide food/ingredients. Examples
of youth group classes that EFNEP offers are Cooking for
Life: Youth and Cooking
for Life: Young Adult (below).
Cooking for Life: Youth -
provides youth with the nutrition and cooking skills necessary to prepare healthy,
affordable meals and snacks. By providing interactive and experiential learning,
and incorporating many aspects of food choice and preparation, Cooking
for Life: Youth engages participants in trying new foods and in the act of improving behaviors
and attaining nutritional knowledge. Since Cooking for Life:
Youth began in 2001,
over 1,000 at-risk youth have participated in 96 series offered throughout Vermont.
Target audience - Participants are at-risk
youth ages 10-14. The program is offered with organizations that work with the
target population, such as after-school programs, teen centers, and local youth
groups.
Class topics - Cooking for Life: Youth classes
meet once a week for six weeks. During each two-hour session, participants work
with a nutrition educator and a local chef through hands-on activities to acquire
the knowledge, skills, and changes in behavior necessary to achieve adequate
diets on limited budgets. The Cooking for Life: Youth curriculum was
developed by dietitians at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger and the
University of Vermont’s
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and is based on the Social Cognitive
Theory of Behavior Change, which states that new behaviors are learned through
a combination of our environment, thoughts, and behaviors. The curriculum implements
a variety of constructs from this theory such as recordkeeping, reinforcements,
and observational learning. Topics covered in the curriculum include: The Food
Guide Pyramid Fats in the Diet Fruits and Vegetables Food Safety Sugars Calcium
Body Image Recipes made during class correspond to the nutrition topic for that
week. View a complete Cooking
for Life: Youth class
outline (pdf) along with
a list of weekly recipes.
Cooking for Life: Young Adult
- was designed
to provide at-risk teens that are transitioning into independent living with
the skills needed to prepare healthy, nutritious meals on their own. As many
low-income teens become self-sufficient, they need to acquire the skills that
will ensure they are eating well within limited budgets. The program uses innovative
strategies and a theory based curriculum to provide life-skills training to Vermont
teens. Since the Cooking for Life: Young Adult program began in 2004, over 258
at-risk teens have participated in 24 series offered throughout Vermont.
Target
audience
- Participants are at-risk teens and young adults ages
15-22. The program is offered with organizations that work with the target population,
such as alternative education programs, teen centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, and
G.E.D. programs.
Class topics
- Classes meet once
a week for six weeks. During each session, participants work with a nutrition
educator and a local chef through hands-on activities to acquire the knowledge,
skills, and changes in behavior necessary to achieve adequate diets on limited
budgets.
The Cooking for Life: Young Adult curriculum
was developed by dietitians at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger and
the University of Vermont’s
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and is based on the Social Cognitive
Theory of Behavior Change, which states that new behaviors are learned through
a combination of our environment and our behaviors. The curriculum implements
a variety of constructs from this theory such as recordkeeping, reinforcements,
and observational learning. Topics covered include: The Food Guide Pyramid, Fats
in the Diet, Fruits and Vegetables, Food Safety, Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping,
and Body Image. Recipes made during class correspond to the nutrition topic for
that week. View
a Cooking for
Life: Young Adult class
outline (pdf) along with a
list of weekly recipes.
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"It has been great learning how to cook, I have been
cooking more at home."
— Cooking for Life graduate
"The thing that I like most about the program
was trying the food in class and then bringing the groceries home to cook it
on my own."
— Cooking
for Life participant |
