Hands on learning keeps students engaged!

Schools out, it’s been over 100 degrees for almost two weeks straight, and the days are long! But for 50 families in the city of Fresno, that won’t stop them from having a healthy summer! These families are participating in a no-cost Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Camp (HLFC).

For the past four years, The City of Fresno Parks and Recreation Department has collaborated with the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program to provide a summer camp that promotes well-fed, healthy, secure families.

Campers this year are wearing camouflage style t-shirts with the quote: “I don’t do it because it’s easy, I do it because I am worth it.”

The camp, which runs 6 weeks in length, has one mission: to provide a fun-filled summer fitness program that promotes weight loss, positive self-image, and the importance of embracing a healthy lifestyle for children 10-13 years old.

How is the accomplished? With FUN of course! Exercise, traditional and non-traditional sports, cooking classes, nutrition classes, science, water aerobics, bike riding, dance and a number of exciting field trips are all part of the HLFC experience.

Students use EatFit workbooks to learn about goal setting.

The students aren’t the only ones having fun! Relay races in heels and slacks is not an uncommon sight during the weekly parent component. As part of a family-centered approach, parents are also learning how to make healthy choices on a limited budget and participating in planned physical activity. At the end of camp, parents will participate in the “Annual Parent Cook Off.” During the Cook Off, parents will re-create healthier versions of their favorite recipes, which will be judged on flavor and creativity. The winning chefs will win prizes that will help to reinforce what they have been learning at camp.

Parents enjoy the healthy recipes they have learned to make!

Parent lessons teach food preparation skills.

Parents learned how to make hummus.

Looking for ways to have a healthy summer with your family? Here are 10 tips from choosemyplate.gov to help you and your family have your healthiest summer yet!

1. Set specific activity times
2. Plan ahead and track your activity
3. Include work around the house
4. Use what is available
5. Build new skills
6. Plan for all weather conditions
7. Turn off the TV
8. Start small
9. Include other families
10. Treat the family with fun physical activities

Missed out on camp this year? No problem!

UC CalFresh offers no-cost adult nutrition education classes throughout the year and nutrition education materials for low-income k-12 schools in Fresno County.

For more information contact: Shelby MacNab, smacnab@ucanr.edu 559-241-7531

In our new series "educator reflections" you'll periodically hear first hand experiences from UC CalFresh staff working in Fresno County. Our first reflection comes from Program Educator, Brittanny Zweigle.

This summer I had the opportunity to join with Elizabeth Villalobos in serving Ahwahnee Middle School's deaf and hard of hearing students, taught by Carolee Clayton and Lisa Catron.  These two teachers worked with UC CalFresh throughout the school year and are dedicated to nutrition education by continuing participation during the summer.   

Liz and I taught one lesson a week over four weeks with our goal being to boost the students’ awareness of healthy options.  Using lessons from the EatFit curriculum we focused on the importance of making healthy choices to keep our bodies strong. 

We challenged the students to set goals by focusing on a single behavior such as; eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing their physical activity, decreasing their sugar consumption or limiting the amount of television they watch. 

We checked in on the students’ goals every week, to see what changes they had made.  A few had increased their physical activity while others signed that it was difficult to make those changes.

The schedule was packed with multiple lesson topics, and we only had 4 weeks to fit it all in! 

Week 1: Understanding our Students’ Knowledge

An EatFit pre-test helped us to gauge what our students knew about making healthy choices.  We reviewed MyPlate, the importance of vitamins and minerals and conducted a taste test of coconut water.

Week 2: "Get Moving" and Reading a Food Label

We hit the ground running learning the importance of physical activity (PA). The students got moving with three forms of exercise: aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching. An Instant Recess video was also a hit! 

Students learn about label reading.

Following our PA we examined how to read a food label, and tasted baked snap peas and golden raisins.

Week 3: Fast Food and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Healthier options can be difficult to choose when at a fast food restaurant, but learning how to make those choices can be fun when playing tic, tac, toe!  

After discussing how to choose healthy options at fast food restaurants, we learned about the number of teaspoons of sugar that one sweetened beverage can hold.  We chewed over all the information by tasting kiwi and carrots.

Week 4: Master Gardeners

Rose Pipkin, Master Gardener

We concluded the series with our own Master Gardeners from UCCE.  The students learned that everything comes from a seed, how various foods produce seeds, and had the opportunity to plant their own purple green beans to take home. We ended the session with a review of everything taught the past weeks, and a final tasting of a fruit parfait.

Students learned all about seeds!

Not knowing American Sign Language (ASL), could have created a communication barrier. With the help of our remarkable teachers and interpreter, Taylor Clark, we were able to connect with the students. 

We used pictures and items for the students to touch and see, as well as a video to deliver our lessons.  The food tastings allowed the students to see, smell, and taste.  Working with the deaf and hard of hearing students at Ahwahnee Middle School was such an enjoyable experience! 

I learned so much from them, and would love to become fluent in ASL! Thank you Carolee Clayton, Lisa Catron, and Taylor Clark for your dedication to nutrition education and support of our program.  

UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County moves to new location

The University of California Cooperative Extension office in Fresno County has moved from its long-time southeast Fresno location to the UC Center in north Fresno. The office is now open at 550 E. Shaw Ave., on the frontage road directly across from Fashion Fair Shopping Mall. The new telephone number is (559) 241-7515.

UCCE is a cooperative program involving the University of California, county government and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A cut in the county portion of the budget prompted the move.

"Our new location costs less, but we are also losing our lab and storage space," said UCCE Fresno County director Shannon Mueller.

Although UCCE now has less space, the location offers myriad benefits. The building has on-site security for night meetings, something that was unavailable at the former location. UCCE has access to the UC Center's large, state-of-the-art meeting facilities and ample parking.

Along with the move, UC Cooperative Extension is forming a partnership with Madera County.

"Our goal is to reduce the administrative footprint and put more resources into our programs," Mueller said.

The Madera County UCCE administrative functions will be handled by Mueller in the new Fresno County office, but the Madera County 4-H and Master Gardener programs will remain in the Madera County office at 328 S. Madera Ave., Madera. Many advisor positions cover both counties.

The University of California continues to make an investment in Fresno and Madera county UC Cooperative Extension programs, Mueller said.

Nut crop advisor Gurreet Brar joined the academic staff in February 2013. A new nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor will be on the job in August. Recruitment will begin in the fall for a new small farms advisor to replace Richard Molinar, who retired in June. Other academic positions are being considered for recruitment over the next two years.

"We're pleased that we are able to continue to build our academic staff," Mueller said.

Other academic advisors in Fresno County UC Cooperative Extension are Kurt Hembree, weed management; Dan Munk, cotton production, irrigation and soil quality; and Tom Turini, vegetable crops. In addition to serving as director, Mueller is the advisor for agronomy, alfalfa, honeybee management, dry beans and oil seed crop production.

The Fresno County UCCE office also houses the UC CalFresh and other nutrition education programs, comprised of 25 educators and coordinators; a Master Gardener program manager; a small farms and specialty crops Hmong agricultural assistant; plus laboratory and administrative staff. A newly hired 4-H program representative joins the team at the end of July.

The University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is the bridge between local issues and the power of UC research. UC ANR's advisors, specialists and faculty bring practical, science-based answers to Californians. Visit ucanr.edu to learn more.

This week UC CalFresh is at the Childhood Obesity Conference.

We're presenting posters highlighting our work with the OrganWise Guys and sharing information about our SMART Board nutrition education lessons.

We've been piloting use of the OrganWise Guys materials for the last year at Olmos and Rowell Elementary. Check out the video below to see us in action!