- Author: Russell D. Hill
- Author: Fe Moncloa
- Author: Liliana Vega
- Contributor: Roshan Nyak
After attending first ever California 4-H virtual summer camps, 62% of youth participants reported they feel more connected to other youth, which is especially important for health given this time of COVID-19 isolation.
The Issue
Shelter in Place restrictions due to COVID-19 prevented in-person overnight and day camp opportunities for California's youth. A national survey of adolescents indicates, “School closures and sheltering at home in the COVID-19 pandemic isolate children and adolescents from peers, teachers, extended family, and community...fully one-third of adolescents reported high levels of loneliness.” (Loades ME et al., 2020)
How UC Delivered
In response to these restrictions, a team of UC ANR academics and staff united to provide engaging summer activities to provide virtual spaces for youth peer interactions and foster youth-adult partnerships. A partnership among eight UC ANR academics, including one from UC Davis, 31 staff, volunteers and youth representing 20 counties, four Research and Extension Centers, and the California 4-H Youth Development Program Statewide Office, developed, planned, and delivered the first-ever 4-H virtual camps in California: Our Wild California and 4-H Grown at Home.
Planning for these virtual camp opportunities began on April 23, 2020, with a launch date of June 13 for the first camp. During this period, we “learned by doing” and developed two week long day camps offered virtually using the Zoom platform. Each camp included three activity options in the morning and three options in the afternoon. Activity sessions were hosted by 4-H staff, academics, certified 4-H volunteers and teens. 4-H County Ambassador teams were recruited to lead ice breakers and team building activities during morning and afternoon sessions.
Our Wild California virtual camp, held during the week of July 13, 2020, offered 108 youth campers from 18 counties the opportunity to learn about the natural environment. The week long camp is comprised of various activities designed to grow youths' appreciation for nature. 4-H Grown at Home, held during the week of August 3, 2020, offered 105 youth campers from 22 counties the opportunity to explore the natural world from their home.
The Impact
More than 70% (n=69) of youth campers agreed virtual camps provided them opportunities to explore something they really care about, and 62% reported their camp participation helped them feel more connected to other youth. Research shows that lack of social connection can have negative impacts on health. Thus, these outcomes contribute to improved health and the public value of promoting healthy people and communities.
“I think that most everyone communicated really well, and the events ran really smoothly. Everyone was so nice and friendly, and I felt really welcome to participate as a teen volunteer.”- Teen Volunteer
“…there are more friendly people in the world than you think.” – Youth Camper
Source: Loades ME et al. 2020).Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. Journal American Academy Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,Jun 3; [e-pub]. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009)
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- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Emily Dimond
- Author: Rosa Vargas
- Author: Katherine E Soule
During COVID-19, CalFresh Healthy Living virtually developed culinary skills of 18 4-H SNAC Club student leaders, who then led 117 culturally-relevant healthy cooking lessons with family members.
The Issue
Health disparities, described in Healthy People 2020 as “health differences that are closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantage,” adversely impact people of color in the United States. Eliminating health disparities will require coordinated efforts across all sectors of society and investment in equitable infrastructure so that all Americans have access to the resources needed to live healthy lives[1]. Obesity and diabetes remain two of the most persistent health outcomes with documented disparities between White and African American or Latino populations and is related to differential access to healthy food, housing, healthcare, education, and safe environments for physical activity created by historic and persistent racist policies and systems. During COVID-19, disparities in health outcomes have intensified as parents who are Hispanic or Black and parents with lower incomes were most likely to lose work-related income and to reduce spending on food during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic[2]. In addition, people of color have a higher risk of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, risks that are linked to obesity and obesity-related chronic disease[3].
How UC Delivers
CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties works primarily with youth and families attending schools with high rates of low-income students and families who are Hispanic/Latino. UC educators partner with youth in elementary schools to develop expertise in health and nutrition and to advocate for improved access to healthy and culturally relevant foods through the 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC Club). SNAC Clubs fosters youth leadership, health knowledge, skill building, and career readiness. When schools shut down, UC educators reached out to school administrators to problem-solve ways to continue to partner with and support SNAC Club youth.
Starting in April 2020, 18 youth from two school clubs continued SNAC Club meetings online for nine consecutive weeks. Meetings included cooking and gardening activities, utilizing resources available in students' homes and supplemental materials provided by UCCE staff. During and after the online meetings, youth shared the food they prepared, as well as information about food safety, food budgeting, and the nutritional value of featured ingredients with members of their families. After each session, youth provided their feedback to UCCE educators through an anonymous survey.
The Impact
SNAC Club youth leaders adopted what they learned from UCCE SNAC meetings by delivering a total of 117 lessons to their families and engaging an average of three family members in weekly cooking, nutrition or garden lessons, with some youth engaging up to five family members. Topics taught by youth leaders included healthy recipe demonstration and tasting, the benefits of eating from one or more of the MyPlate food groups, how to make healthy meals on a budget, and cooking with seasonal produce.
Overall, of the six recipes prepared, 92% of youth (n=38) indicated that they would make the recipe again. Youth and their families also commented on changes they would make to the recipes such as omitting onions or adding avocado, tomatoes or cucumber. Several students shared how they involved their families in preparing the recipe together.
Research has shown that programs that enhance cooking skills are supportive of healthy dietary intake, body mass index, and blood pressure[4]. Fostering skill development among youth around preparing healthy foods with and for their families support improved health among low-income and Latino community members and are examples of UC ANR's Public Values of: Promoting healthy people and communities and Developing an inclusive and equitable society for all Californians as we face uncertainty and a global pandemic.
“My family really liked [the baby tomato bites recipe] and said that I should make it again.” – SNAC Club Youth Leader
[1] https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2019/01/29/achieving-health-equity
[2] https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/102254/parents-are-struggling-to-provide-for-their-families-during-the-pandemic_2.pdf
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: George Zhuang
30,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley vineyards have adopted mechanization using UCCE research-based guidelines, potentially saving $15 million per year and promoting economic prosperity in California.
The Issue
Grape is the second largest commodity of California agriculture in terms of value ($6.25 billion in 2018) with approximately 900,000 acres. Currently, increasing labor costs and severe labor shortages are starting to damage long-term grape farming profitability and competitiveness. Full mechanization on wine grape vineyard can reduce the production cost per acre from $3,000 to $2,500 per acre, which represents about 20% reduction of production cost. However, wineries and juice processing plants have concerns about grape and juice quality from mechanization.
How UC Delivers
UCCE Fresno and UC Davis have been working on research projects to identify the best strategy for mechanical pruning, leafing and shoot thinning at San Joaquin Valley, North Coastal, and Napa Valley regions. Research findings have identified the best guidelines for adopting vineyard mechanization and confirmed that mechanization has no negative effect on grape and wine quality, but improves the grape and wine quality. The research results have been shared with growers and industry personnel through meetings, field demonstration, newsletter, and professional society conference.
“We don't really have an R&D arm, so we really rely on George and Cooperative Extension to provide viticultural knowledge and methods to help us achieve our production goals,” Nick Davis, southern valley vineyard manager of The Wine Group, the second-largest U.S. wine company, told Growing Produce. “We really enjoy our collaboration with UC Extension — through them we can attain the best quality grapes in our vineyards.”
The Impact
Over 30,000 acres of wine grape in San Joaquin Valley has been converted into some sort of mechanization based on UCCE's research and extension of findings. Mechanization can save $500 per acre for growers on production costs based on 2019 UC cost studies; thus, potentially saving $15 million per year. UCCE's viticulture research and extension contributes to increasing agriculture efficiency and profitability, and the public value of promoting economic prosperity in California.
Vineyard mechanization is the win-win-win situation: growers can improve their farming margins, wineries and juice processing plants can have reliable supply and better quality, and average consumers can enjoy better wine and more healthy grape products at the decent price. There is potential for wider adoption of vineyard mechanization across California's grape growing regions. The Wine Group (the second largest winery in US), and other industry partners, have had positive feedback and indicate they will adopt the mechanization into the current farming practices.
/h3>/span>/h3>/span>/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Paul Tabarez
- Author: Yu Meng
- Contributor: Andra Nicoli
Teacher adopts CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Imperial County pilot of online nutrition education to promote healthy living during COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place
The Issue
Imperial County is located in the rural Sonoran Desert with 181,000 residents. Sixty (60) out of 66 schools qualify for SNAP-Ed services in the County. In the town of El Centro at De Anza Magnet Elementary School, 55% of 5th graders and 47% of 7th graders are overweight (ED-Data, 2018). When the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic first surfaced in the County, the 16 School Districts reacted initially by closing school sites to those not enrolled, this includes parent visitors and CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Imperial County (CFHL, UCCE).
Partnership collaboration can spawn innovation, especially during times of uncertainty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery of direct education lessons in schools has required a major pivot to an online platform for CalFresh Healthy Living, UC programs in California. An example of this is displayed in the Imperial County pilot experience.
How UC Delivers
CFHL, UCCE began a partnership with De Anza Magnet Elementary School's Special Day Class in 2017 by piloting garden-enhanced nutrition education. Over the past 3 years, the partnership has grown to include activities in CATCH PE, and nutrition education. This relationship culminated with Special Day Class teacher, Carmen Hernandez, and the CFHL, UCCE team pilot testing a remote lesson delivery of My Amazing Body, a nutrition curriculum, due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place requirements.
CFHL, UCCE Imperial County collaboratively structured the 30 minute interactive lesson with Mrs. Hernandez.
My Amazing Body, Lesson 3 “Germs are not for Sharing” which highlights handwashing/hygiene, getting enough sleep, eating right, and being physically active to stay healthy was pilot tested with 16 students from 3rd and 4th grade. CFHL, UCCE Imperial County started the presentation with an introduction of the lesson and a Google Map, indicating the location of the school and CFHL, UCCE offices. Mrs. Hernandez then read “Germs Are Not For Sharing” utilizing YouTube. After the reading, CFHL, UCCE Nutrition Educators facilitated a discussion of the book on Zoom, followed by an interactive PowerPoint highlighting simple strategies to be, and stay, healthy. CFHL, UCCE staff finished the lesson with an online physical activity break for students and teachers.
This My Amazing Body pilot illustrates a strategic approach to direct education delivery online.
The Impact
As a result of this partnership, a new form of education was adopted by a De Anza Magnet Elementary School teacher as the first online direct nutrition education class delivered during the pandemic. My Amazing Body is an evidence-based curriculum that has been evaluated across counties and can lead to behavior changes such as students identifying healthy foods, being willing to try new foods, bringing healthy snacks to school, and washing hands before handling food. This pilot also illustrates how online delivery can be a tool to not only reach but potentially expand programmatic delivery in environments with high numbers of SNAP-Ed eligible populations that may otherwise not be served due to limited staffing. This lends an opportunity for CFHL, UCCE Imperial County staff to increase capacity to target the most vulnerable areas in our large, rural county by reaching multiple classrooms with one presentation, and creates the potential to serve more schools and communities that staff would otherwise be unable to reach. COVID-19 rates are increasing (Imperial County Public Health Department) which may require more pivots to online education to meet the needs of schools and families. Healthy eating behaviors can lead to a decreased risk of chronic health diseases and thus, this example demonstrates how CFHL, UCCE partnerships contribute to health for all and promotes healthy families and communities during this pandemic.
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>I really enjoyed it! The students were engaged! It was something different and I would want to do it again. They loved it! – Carmen Hernandez, Special Day Class teacher, De Anza Magnet Elementary School
- Author: William Easlea
- Author: Mary Vollinger
- Author: Andra Nicoli
Collaboration between CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE San Mateo County and local school increases access to green spaces and empowers youth through a Garden Buddy system.
The Issue
Woodrow Wilson Elementary school is located in Daly City, San Mateo County, a densely populated urban area near San Francisco. Over 72% of its 371 students qualify for the Free and Reduced Meal Program. The school has had no dedicated green space. There are documented health benefits received from spending time in green spaces, yet a 2019 landscape and urban planning study found inequities in access to urban vegetation in communities that have lower income levels and are more ethnically and racially diverse.
How UC Delivers
For over 5 years, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE San Mateo has partnered with the school to offer physical activity, nutrition education, cafeteria promotions, Safe Routes to School and limited garden-enhanced education to students. An assessment in the fall of 2019 identified the need for technical assistance and training to bring more students and school staff to the garden for year-round learning. A six-person School Garden Committee composed of four teachers, the principal and a CFHL, UCCE San Mateo County Educator worked tirelessly to develop an expanded garden and more robust garden-enhanced learning program.
Challenges of teaching in an outdoor environment include multiple distractions around the school and neighborhood. To address this problem, a garden peer mentor program, modeled on the existing Reading Buddy System, connected older elementary students with younger ones. Garden Buddies offered older students leadership roles to serve as ambassadors to younger students and lead them through garden lessons taught from CFHL's Teams with Inter-Generational Support (TWIGS) and the Junior Master Gardener curricula.
CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE San Mateo found through observation and discussions with teachers that students participating in the Garden Buddy system remained focused on program content and assisted in each other's learning, even though there were more students in the garden at that time. As a result, teachers did not need to expend their class time managing behavioral issues and instead more fully explored curriculum content and activities.
The Impact
This collaboration resulted in the garden growing from 5 to 18 - 4'x4' garden boxes for garden-enhanced nutrition education throughout the year. As a result of adopting the Garden Buddy system, the school was able to engage 371 students in the garden and build leadership skills. Furthermore, because Garden Safety rules were established the garden became distinguished as a versatile site on campus hosting English and Art classes. During recess periods the garden was a quiet zone for mindfulness exercises, or an area for socializing. A CFHL, UCCE San Mateo Educator described it as often being “a quiet haven for students who did not want to play sports or run around, but rather chat with classmates or look for bugs.” The garden is now accessible throughout the school day and after school. Students can be found in the garden discussing composting and showing their vegetables growth proudly to family members. Community members have also been able to see and feel how the school has greened their formerly concrete recess yard as they visit a food bank distribution site, which is right next to the garden. In these ways, CFHL, UC collaborations have improved access to positive built environments. Research shows that living, working, and playing near green spaces promotes healthy people and communities in San Mateo County.
/h3>/h3>/h3>/h3>My fifth graders really enjoyed spending time with their kinder buddies in the garden. Not only was it fun, it also allowed some of my quieter students to take on a leadership role. For some of my more outgoing students, it was a time to have them try to get their buddy to participate more. Students were able to practice listening, speaking, sketching, and writing together in the garden. -Mrs. Kious-Noda, 5th Grade Teacher