This year marks the 12^th anniversary of the annual Growing Healthy Children Walk/Run and the 5^th year that the University of California CalFresh Nutrition Education Program in the Butte Cluster has co-chaired the event.

The goal of the annual Growing Healthy Children (GHC) Walk/Run is to heighten community awareness of the need for good nutrition and physical activity as a part of a healthy lifestyle. GHC has been a no-cost event for families in Butte County for the past eleven years, thanks to generous community support. Free participation enables families of every socioeconomic level to participate in the family fun centered on health and movement. A participant stated, “I come back each year because it is family fun and kid friendly!”

UC CalFresh participation in this event has helped to sustain community and partner participation, increased the number of returning families, and expanded the reach outside of Chico. UC CalFresh serving as a co-chair for the GHC event has helped to strengthen partnerships within the community and has served as an overall benefit to the program.

The data below are from last year's 2017 GHC event:

• 58% of families that attended had participated in previous year's event.
• 123 families and 352 participants (67% show up rate, above average for runs that require payment).
• 184 participated in the 1-mile walk/run and 142 participated 5K walk/run.
• Schools from Chico, Gridley, Hamilton City, Biggs, and Orland attended the event.
• Surveys completed by event participants reflected that 71% participated in the event to improve the health of their family, 78% enjoyed participating in the walk/run together, and 83% reported that event encourages them to make a healthy change for themselves and their families.

This year's GHC event will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Bidwell Park in Chico, CA. This is a NO-COST walk/run event for the entire family! With three different events, there is something for everyone! 

• Family K (1-mile loop)
• 5K
• Kids Sprints (for young children, held in Sycamore Field)

There will be music, dancing, prizes and lots of fun activities for the whole family! 

To learn more about this event, CHICK HERE.

The first 300 children to pick up their race day packets will also receive a race day t-shirt! CLICK HERE to register today.

Registration & Check-in: 7:30am – 8:15am. The race starts at 8:30am.

The UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program in the Butte Cluster collaborated with the Chico State University Crop Science and Horticulture Club to reinvigorate the Oakdale Heights Elementary School's Learning Garden. The Crop Science and Horticulture Club is a student-led organization. The club brings people together with a common interest in agriculture, crop science, and horticulture and aims to show its members exactly what service the local agriculture community provides.

To learn more about the Chico State's Crop Science & Horticulture Club, CLICK HERE. 

The purpose of reinvigorating the Oakdale Heights Elementary School's Learning Garden was to create a space where the students can interact with fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Prior to partnering with the Crop Science & Horticulture Club, UC CalFresh had a vision for incorporating a MyPlate garden bed into the school's Learning Garden so that they can have an outdoor space to educate students about MyPlate and the importance of healthy eating and active living. This partnership really helped bring that vision to fruition.  

MyPlate is a helpful reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. When UC CalFresh Nutrition Educators teach students about MyPlate, they encourage the following:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Make half your grains whole grains.
• Make healthy snack choices.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Choose from a variety of food groups. The best meals have a balance of items from all five food groups.
• Drink milk and water instead of soda, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks.
• Students should be physically active for at least 60 minutes each day.

To learn more about MyPlate, CLICK HERE.                                             

UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program in the Butte Cluster is extremely thankful for their partnership with Chico State's Crop Science and Horticulture Club and looking forward to future collaboration opportunities.

EFNEP HISTORY & FUNDING

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) began as an Alabama pilot project in response to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) poverty and hunger concerns. Under the Smith-Lever Act, Congress authorized $30 million in funding in 1969, EFNEP's inaugural year. Initially, EFNEP was delivered by 1862 land-grant universities. This was expanded to 1890 land-grant universities in 2006. Today, the University of California is one of the 76 institutions delivering this $67.9 million program, receiving the 2^nd highest amount of funding at $3.6 million. 

Since 1969, EFNEP has successfully addressed critical societal concerns by employing paraprofessional staff and influencing nutrition and physical activity behaviors of low-income families, particularly those with young children. Through a community-based, relationship-driven, hands-on educational approach, EFNEP has directly impacted economic, obesity, and food insecurity challenges that hinder the health and well-being of this nation. EFNEP uses a holistic nutrition educational approach. When the program is implemented successfully, participation should result in individuals and families experiencing improvements in four core areas; 1) Diet quality and physical activity, 2) Food resource management, 3) Food safety, and 4) Food security.

In 2017, EFNEP in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, and Yuba Counties reached 364 families with 337 individuals graduating from the program. This was a 15.4% increase in the number individuals graduating from the program from 2016.

337 of the 364 individuals graduated from the program in 2017 which yielded a 93% graduation rate

93% of participants improved their food resource management practices, exceeding the national average of 84%

96% of participants improved their nutrition practices, exceeding the national average of 89%

89% of participants improved their food safety practices or knowledge, exceeding the national average of 49%

68% of participants made positive changes in their physical activity practices or knowledge, exceeding the national average of 40%

EFNEP FUNDING IN Butte County

• In 2018, EFNEP will bring $164,121 into the county to support EFNEP programming in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, and Yuba Counties

FUN FACTS ON CALIFORNIA SAVINGS

• Every $1 spent on CA EFNEP saves $8.34 in health care costs
• EFNEP graduates reported an average of $38.20 monthly food costs savings, which collectively saved California EFNEP families an estimated $2,916,340.80

EFNEP IN ACTION

EFNEP Educator, Sonia Rodriguez leading a nutrition education class for parents at King Avenue Elementary  in Yuba City, CA.

EFNEP PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIAL

“I try to cook healthier for me and my family with more fruits and vegetables, meats low in fat, and prepare water with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of soda.”  

EFNEP IN ACTION

EFNEP PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIAL

“Since the class I started to compare prices and I have bought healthier food like fruits and vegetables, eat less fast food and prep food with less salt, sugar and oils.”

EFNEP IN ACTION

EFNEP Graduates from the Migrant Farm Housing facility in Williams, CA

EFNEP PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIAL

“I always make a list of what I am going to buy and compare prices in the store, I teach my kids the importance of eating healthy and exercising.”

Over the past twenty years, the frequency of family dinners has significantly declined even though research has shown that children who share family dinners three or more times per week are less likely to be overweight and more likely to perform better academically, eat healthier foods, and have better relationships with their parents. Thus, educating students how to choose, prepare, and cook healthy foods is a priority for the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program (NEP) and the 4-H Youth Development Program (YDP) in Sutter and Yuba Counties. Food preparation skills are often overlooked, but they are important for children to learn in order to maintain good health.

In FFY17, UC CalFresh NEP partnered with the Sutter-Yuba 4-H to submit a proposal to implement a Teens-as-Teachers (TAT) program. The TAT model provides extended learning opportunities and allows teens to learn, lead, and serve their community. The proposal was approved and awarded to implement the program in three schools within two counties. Five teens traveled to UC ANR (Davis) for a Statewide TAT Training. In addition, seven teens participated in a full-day training hosted locally by the UC CalFresh NEP and Sutter-Yuba 4-H. These trainings aimed to educate teens on the basic skills of food preparation, selection, safety, and science, as well as to prepare them to work with elementary school students. During the trainings, teens learned culinary techniques, behavior guidance strategies, and how to prepare each recipe featured in the Cooking Academy: Cooking 101 curriculum. Chef Kuulei Moreno, Culinary Arts Instructor of Wheatland Union High School and winner of a Food Network cooking competition attended both of the trainings as a special guest and provided inspiration and helpful tips for navigating in the kitchen. Each Cooking Academy consisted of seven weeks of cooking and food safety instruction where youth (ages 6-11) had opportunities to learn basic nutrition information, try new foods, and learn how to safely prepare meals using recipes that incorporated foods grown in the school's edible garden.

Through hands-on food activities, youth learned about different taste combinations, their food preferences and the many food choices available to them. They also tried new foods, built their cooking confidence, and increased their overall interest in cooking. As a result of participating in the program, youth willingness to try new foods increased. When asked how often they tried new foods prior to participating in the program, 8.3% of youth said always, 50% said sometimes, and 29.2% said once in a while. After participating in the program, 26.3% of youth said they always try new foods, 21.1% said often, 36.8% said sometimes, and 29.2% said once in a while. Prior to participating in the program 46% of youth also considered themselves to be extremely good cooks and after participating in the program, this increased to 74%, yielding a difference of +28%. In addition, prior to participating in the program, 42% of youth reported that they were able to chop vegetables extremely well with a knife, which increased to 90% after participating in the program. Additionally, 37.5% of youth reported that they were able to grate cheese extremely well prior to participating in the program and this increased to 89.5%, yielding a difference of +52 as a result of program participation.

Teens who participated as TAT in this program increased their overall self-confidence, ability to act as mentors and ability to speak before a group of individuals. As a result of participating in the program, 66.7% of TAT strongly agreed and 33.3% agreed that they learned what makes up a balanced diet and which foods they should eat each day. Additionally, 66.7% of TAT strongly agreed and 33.3% agreed that they learned why it is important to eat a healthy diet and how to make healthy food choices. 66.7% of TAT also reported that they eat more fruits and vegetables, drink less soda, and consume more water as a result of participating in the program. All teens that participated in the program as TAT either strongly agreed (20%) or agreed (80%) that their families have purchased healthier food because of participating in the program.

Some of the most important skills that TAT reported learning as a result of participating in the program included:
• Cooking, following rules and directions.
• Being patient with younger students and getting their attention.
• Learning how to handle younger kids.

TAT also shared what they thought was the best part of participating as a teen teacher or mentor in the program and some of their responses included:
• Teaching little kids to cook.
• Spending time with younger students and teaching them ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Seeing the kids every Thursday and then sometimes seeing them in the community.

Clientele Testimonial

"My son Damien is enrolled in the cooking program. He had a wonderful time in this program. It has inspired him to taste new foods and take an interest in cooking. He has come home from the program and explained to me about the food he has made, food preparation and all about cooking! Because of this program, he asked if he could cook our Thanksgiving dinner".
-Heather Panteloglow