- Author: Kelly Hong
- Editor: Mishelle Costa
- Editor: Rosa I Vargas
- Editor: Shannon A Klisch
After attending a Teens Love Cooking summer series focused on nutrition and culinary skills, 83% of youth participants were more willing to try new foods and ask for them at home. The class helped reinforce their healthy eating habits and support their long-term health.
The Issue
Collectively, Santa Maria-Bonita and Santa Maria Joint Union High school districts serve over 25,600 students, with more than half of the students qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals. While schools provide nutritious meals for students, teens, in particular, purchase fast food during non-mealtimes...
- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Abbi Marrs
- Author: Mishelle Petit
- Editor: Rosa Vargas
UCCE partners with a school site to promote health and wellness and develop student leaders. As a result of the program, 92% of students reported gaining skills in teaching others.
The Issue
Studies show that school gardens support student health through increased physical activity, increased consumption of healthy foods, and decreased body mass index. School gardens are also associated with positive emotions and social interactions. Additionally, school gardens have the potential to improve students' leadership skills and
- Author: Kelly Hong
- Author: Emily Dimond
- Author: Melissa LaFreniere
- Author: Rosa Vargas
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UCCE Santa Barbara County educators partnered with P.E. teachers to boost enrolled classes by 53% during COVID-19 distance learning. About half of the students surveyed indicated intentions to drink more water and increase activity, contributing to improved youth health.
The Issue
The CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) program serving Santa Barbara County has partnered with elementary schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) for several years to provide evidence-based curriculum and trainings in nutrition and physical activity. SMBSD serves over 16,900 students with 87.2% of the students qualifying for free or...
- Author: Rosa Vargas
- Author: Miguel Diaz
- Author: Emily Dimond
- Author: Shannon Klisch
After participating in UCCE's virtual Family Cook Night series, 60% of parents reported intention to not offer a treat as a reward for eating other foods and 80% would try new strategies for picky eaters, promoting healthy people and communities.
The Issue
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of life, including family, work, and education. The pandemic has exacerbated social inequalities, affected access to education for adults and youth and magnified food insecurity for children and families. Two US COVID-19 Impact Surveys indicated that 34.5% of households with a child ≤ 18 years old and 34.4% of households with children ≤ 12 years old were food insecure by...
- 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...
