Newport--Thanks to the University of Vermont Extension Community Nutrition Education program, life skills students at North Country Union High School (NCUHS) in Newport will be better prepared for independent living after high school.
For six weeks from January to March, Extension Nutrition Educator Katie Black taught a free nutrition and culinary education series through the newly established North Country Supervisory Union's (NCSU) Family Resource Center. The center supports learning opportunities for students and community members that address employment, financial literacy, positive psychology and skill development.
Black delivered adaptive programming to 17 students, ages 15-18, who demonstrate a range of abilities and social and/or sensory preferences. Family Resource Center staff adapted Extension's educational materials to meet these students' needs.
This included creating recipe booklets with picture-based directions and ingredient lists as well as adaptive kitchen equipment to make learning more accessible. The students learned measuring and knife skills, food safety, ways to make healthy choices and nutritious recipes that they can make on their own at home. They also received booklets with adaptive recipes and kitchen equipment to take home.
When asked what they gained from taking the class, participants mentioned learning to use appliances such as the stove and oven and cooking a stir-fry for the first time. Many also reported that they have begun cooking at home using their new culinary skills and nutrition knowledge.
One student especially liked learning how to cook in a group setting. "I had never before cooked in a large group," he commented. "I enjoyed the company, and the smells of our hard work."
Black collaborated with NCSU Community Schools Coordinator Samantha Stevens and NCUHS Special Educator Carrie Lucas to offer this education series. The programming helped enhance equitable access to education in the Newport region through hands-on practice and knowledge transfer that promotes students' self-confidence and gives them skills needed to live independently after graduation.
This successful collaboration demonstrates a commitment to dismantling barriers for addressing equity and social justice through Extension programming in low-resourced and rural regions of Vermont.