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Impact Report

For plan KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior (Rio Arriba County)
Date October 30, 2010, 1:52 am
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report ICAN and Just Be It! Healthy and Fit Program (combination program in Rio Arriba county) The ICAN/Just Be It! Healthy and Fit Program (JBI) promotes healthy lifestyles by reducing risk factors for 5th grade students in 3 counties – Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Los Alamos. To kick off the program for the 2009-2010 school year, Extension Agents from Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties, as well as staff from Espanola Hospital and Espanola School District, conducted the Just Be it! Healthy and Fit field trip, a tri-county, educational nutrition and fitness school enrichment program offered to fifth graders in each of the named counties. The 2009 field trip began with a JBI Trivia game - setting the tone for the 4 workshops that students attend. The field trip consists of four, 45 minute workshops: MyPyramid, Vary Your Veggies and Focus on Fruits, Power up With Exercise, and Fun with Food Facts. Workshops are aligned to the NM Health Education Standards and Benchmarks. The extension agents from each county presented in each of three workshops, and the 4th workshop on physical activity was conducted by a PE teacher from Espanola Public Schools. Four field trips were conducted at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. In Los Alamos County - 249 students from five elementary schools participated, 163 W, 5 NA, 63 H, 17 A, 1 B. 126 females and 123 males. In Rio Arriba: 106 students from two elementary schools participated, 2 WH, 13 AI, 92 H, 50 male, 56 female. Santa Fe County 106 students participated from one elementary school, 7 w, 2 B, 10 NA, 77 H, 4 Asian. 43 male, 63 female. An additional field triip was offered to schools in southern Santa Fe County and the event was held in Moriarty. Students from this school were comprised of 12H, 2NA, and 40 , 31F, 21M.for a total of 52 students . Students and teachers participating in the field trip also received a student/parent handout developed by Extension agents, containing information and activities about healthy eating, food safety, goal setting and physical fitness. Twenty four teachers from the 3 counties participated in the field trips and received a classroom exercise kit consisting of a variety of physical activity equipment. Teacher classroom resource kits included USDA MyPyramid lessons for grades 5-6, CDC Health Stores, MyPyramid handouts for each student, 4-H pamphlets and other health and nutrition information. A total of 513 students participated in the field trip. Based on the average results from the pre and post tests in participating counties, students indicated an average knowledge gain of 52% by attending this one-day educational field trip. Individual results for Espanola showed a 60% knowledge gain. The long term objective of expanding the program to other New Mexico counties showed progress. The JBI curriculum is in the final stages of being produced and disseminated to counties. It is expected that county agents will offer the program in their county and show positive results for youth. Presentations on the curriculum were made at the CYFAR conference in San Francisco, the Priester Conference in Alabama, and the NAEFCS conference in Portland,Maine. These presentations assist in providing interest on a national level. The agent took the main responsibility for writing, and organizing the JBI curriculum, although everyone on the JBI committee has contributed. The editing process is almost complete, and will soon progress to the printing stage. Additionally, the agent hired one JBI nutrition educator as a contractor to reach more schools. This individual reached four additional classes that would not otherwise have been provided. The agent also sought and received approval to hire a new ICAN nutrition educator to further assist in providing programs to such a large county. Other KidsCan Programs The program assistant, under the supervision of the agent conducted the JBI program at San Juan,Ojo Caliente, El Rito, Chama, and Gallina Elementary Schools. The agent also hired an outside contractor with grant funds to conduct JBI/ICAN at James H. Rodriguez Elementary school. Impact results are noted above. Summer programs conducted by the nutrition educator included Chama, Canjilon, Dulce, the Cloverbud Day Camp and the Abiquiu Boys and Girls Club. A total 17 classrooms received the JBI/ICAN programs, and 5 summer programs resulted in reaching 405 youth in JBI/ICAN programs throughout the 2009-2010 program year, with 346 ICAN graduates. ICAN only programs provided were food safety, Mypyramid, milk group, fruit group and vegetable group . ICAN Adult Programs The agent and nutrition educator provided various adult and senior ICAN programs throughout the year. In the Fall of 2009 five participants received nutrition programs from the Eating Right Is Basic curriculum conducted at the City of Espanola Recreation Center. Through a partnership with New Mexico Works, a program to help provide workforce skils to citizens, the agent conducted three classes in the fall and winter of 2009-2010, with 43 participants. Two classes were conducted with the GED classes at the Northern New Mexico College with three participants. The agent utizilized the Eating Right Is Basic and Loving Your Family Feeding Their Future Curriculum. In the summer of 2010 the nutrition educator conducted classes at the Senior Citizens Center in Chama utilzing the "Eat Smart Live Strong" program for 30 participants. Finally the agent conducted the same program at the Chama Senior Citizens Center for 13 people. A total of 94 adults participated in the Adult ICAN program this year, with 57 graduates. Health Fairs The agent and nutrition educator attended the Las Cumbres Health Fair and set up a display with a variety of health and nutrition information in Espanola, approximately 125 people attended. The nutrition educator attended a health fair conducted by the Embudo Health Center and set up a display about the ICAN program, and provided health and nutrition information to approximately 115 people. The nutrition educator set up an ICAN/JBI booth at the Rio Arriba County Fair reaching approximately 250 adults and 250 youth.. The nutrition eductor set up the ICAN/JBI display at the Alcalde Field Day. Approximately 175 adults and 10 youth attended.