- 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 teamwork abilities. CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE (CFHL,UCCE) in Santa Barbara County partners with schools to gather stakeholders, create plans, fundraise, and build, maintain and teach in school gardens. One partnering school, Hapgood Elementary, has a flourishing garden that has been expanded and maintained over several years.
How UC Delivers
As COVID-19 restrictions at schools began to ease, UCCE garden nutrition educator Abbi Marrs reached out to the student leadership class to see if there was interest in developing leadership skills related to nutrition and food production in their school garden. Over 30 student leaders expressed interest in learning more about the garden. With the support of the school administration, UCCE staff met with the students to provide support and training related to growing food, composting, garden maintenance, and teaching in the garden. Throughout these trainings, UCCE staff worked with the youth to make decisions related to what they wanted to do with their new skills to support the garden. One group decided to focus on building more awareness of their garden by providing school garden tours. Another group decided to focus on supporting school and family health by providing garden enhanced nutrition education lessons in the garden.
UCCE staff supported youth by facilitating school garden training, helping write scripts for the garden tours, training in Teams With Intergenerational Support (TWIGS) curriculum, and practicing presentations. On April 15th, 2022, 26 youth delivered a garden tour to other youth, teachers, families, and community members. The mayor and city staff were invited to attend, and youth had the opportunity to share their garden and how it impacts their learning and health. In addition, 10 lessons were taught to 211 students in grades TK-6th.
Additionally, eight student leaders shared their garden experience while presenting at the 2022 California Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in September. Student leaders worked with UCCE staff to develop a presentation focused on the responsibilities of a garden student leader. The topics included: how the garden youth leader program started, garden jobs, composting, working with hydroponic towers, working with food service staff, safe harvesting practices, and how to teach garden-based and nutrition education lessons. During the presentation, student leaders shared their favorite parts of working in the garden. Some answers included teaching younger students about the garden, learning healthy recipes, and learning more about gardening in general. Student leaders then delivered a condensed version of the “Pest or Pal” lesson from the TWIGS garden-based curriculum to over fifty attendees. The presentation concluded with question-and-answers and students answered questions such as the biggest challenge they faced working in the garden, their favorite foods to grow, and how working in the garden has helped develop them as leaders.
The Impact
Youth leaders completed the Youth Leader Retrospective survey at the end of the school year (n=26). This survey asks participants to reflect on changes they see in themselves due to their participation in programming. Questions ask about behavior changes related to safely preparing and cooking healthy foods, leadership skills gained, and support received from adult facilitators.
For healthy behaviors, students agreed or strongly agreed, due to their participation in the UCCE Student Leaders Garden Committee: I wash my hands frequently (100%), my family has purchased healthier foods (92%), my family has prepared healthier foods (88%).
For leadership skills, youth retrospectively rated their ability before and after the program using a 4-point scale from No Ability to Excellent Ability. Improvement was observed in all leadership skills assessed, including the ability to work as a team member, speak before a group, teach others, and plan programs. The biggest change was observed in their ability to teach others. Prior to the program, only 1 (4%) youth reported an Excellent Ability, and 11 (42%) reported Good Ability. After the program, 11 (42%) rated themselves as having Excellent Ability and 13 (50%) rated themselves Good Ability. In addition, 0 youth rated themselves as No Ability after participating in the program, compared to 5 (19%) before the program.
For program support, youth agreed or strongly agreed with the following statements: There were dedicated adults who supported me as a youth leader (100%), I received ongoing training and support throughout the program (88%), The program made sure I had everything I needed to be successful as a youth leader (100%).
As a result of the garden tours, the Lompoc City Council adopted a school garden resolution that states the importance of school gardens to student health and the commitment of the city to support school gardens. Youth attended the council meeting and their school was gifted an apricot tree and the principal hosted a tree planting ceremony with students and family members. UCCE plans to work with student leaders next school year with 6th grade student leaders taking on the responsibility of training 5th grade student leaders. This peer to peer model will create a solid foundation for garden program sustainability for years to come. Lastly, when asked about the student youth leader the city mayor stated:
“I am so impressed with the students and the garden at Hapgood! Their passion for growing food was evident as the young scholars taught us about composting and what each part of the plant contributes to in its growth. I want to thank the UC CalFresh Education Program, all the parents and volunteers as well as the staff at Hapgood for supporting such an awesome learning experience in how our food grows.”- Lompoc City Mayor
Through this partnership, CFHL, UCCE in Santa Barbara contributes to improved food security and health for the local community, and guides students to become effective public leaders.
- 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 reduced-price school meals.[1] During the COVID-19 Pandemic, many families, especially those with young children, experienced an increase in food insecurity, making them more vulnerable to negative health outcomes.[2] Unfortunately, during the same time UCCE educators in Santa Barbara County experienced a decrease in K-6th grade classroom teachers being able to partner to provide nutrition and physical activity support, limiting access to important resources and information on diet and exercise habits that promote healthy living.[3-4]
How UC Delivers
Working closely with school partners, UCCE educators pivoted programming to meet the needs of school communities to promote health and increased the total number of enrolled classes by 53% compared to the start of the 2020-21 school year. 
The Impact
All three P.E Specialists expressed interest in continuing the partnership as extenders and felt the lessons were beneficial to their students. Two of the extenders reported the virtual UCCE lessons were easy to integrate into their class schedule and observed that students were actively engaged in the material and activities. Several additionalSMBSD P.E. Specialists expressed further interest in professional development around teaching nutrition curricula and have been provided access to a library of online resources and support from UCCE Educators.
Overall, this partnership resulted in reaching more than 1,000 students across two school sites with quality nutrition education using the Serving UpMyPlate and Up4It! curricula tailored to their grade level. As a result, 59% of 4th-6th grade youth surveyed (n=73) reported that when given a choice they will drink water and 45% reported that when given a choice they will try to engage in more physical activity.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2018), regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of many chronic diseases among children and adults. These outcomes support UCANR's public value of promoting healthy people and communities.
“I have learned that in sports drinks, sodas, teas, and coffee that there is a lot of sugar and added sugar into the drinks. I have also learned that it is good to have some type of protein or dairy or anything that is on my plate when you eat.” – Rice Elementary Student (SMBSD)
References:
1. Ed-Data: Education Data Partnership, Santa Maria-Bonita School District; Accessed on 15 June 2021, http://www.ed-data.org/district/Santa-Barbara/Santa-Maria--Bonita
2. Wolfson JA, Leung CW. Food Insecurity and COVID-19: Disparities in Early Effects for US Adults. Nutrients. 2020; 12(6):1648. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061648
3. Pérez-Rodrigo, C., & Aranceta, J. (2001). School-based nutrition education: Lessons learned and new perspectives. Public Health Nutrition, 4(1a), 131-139. doi:10.1079/PHN2000108
4. Rivera, R. L., Maulding, M. K., & Eicher-Miller, H. A. Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–Education (SNAP-Ed) on food security and dietary outcomes, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 77, Issue 12, December 2019, Pages 903–921, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuz013
- 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 end of April 2020. [2]
How UC Delivers
As schools remained in distance learning, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE in Santa Barbara County worked closely with principals and partners at two elementary schools to find innovative ways to support the health of youth and families during these unprecedented times. Meeting virtually with partners and youth, UCCE educators realized a need for programming that involved the whole family.
UCCE educators hosted two 4-class series of evening classes via Zoom with school leadership to meet this need. Families signed up through their respective schools and got access to the virtual classrooms through school computers and district Zoom rooms. Using the Healthy, Happy Families curriculum, the families learned about topics that promote healthful behaviors. These included how to involve youth in cooking and meal preparation and using words instead of food to praise positive behavior. Families also learned basic nutrition, food safety, and the current USDA dietary guidelines. Throughout each lesson, UCCE educators encouraged families to include their children in the cooking process by demonstrating tasks appropriate for varying levels of child development.
UCCE educators continued to strengthen partnerships with Santa Barbara Food Bank (SBFB), extenders, youth, and families in Santa Barbara County. Families utilized resources available in their homes and supplemental materials provided by the SBFB and UCCE staff. Educators created dynamic lessons that provided families with the opportunity to openly share their experiences, thoughts, and welcomed participation from all family members, including fathers and male guardians. Participation from men in these classes promoted gender equality, an essential step towards addressing the double burden of unpaid caretaking work that disproportionately impacts the health and well-being of women. [4] 
The Impact
After attending the classes, adult participants shared that they changed their approach to feeding their children to promote healthful behaviors. Pre- and post-course survey (n=64) results indicated that the proportion of parents or guardians who would not offer a treat as a reward for eating other foods increased from 36% to 60%. Additionally, the proportion of parents or guardians who indicated that they would offer food to their child rejected more than once increased from 36% to 80%. Overall, the Family Cook Nights Series was impactful, educators and families practiced cooking healthy recipes, promoted gender equality, and changed feeding habits to encourage healthful behaviors.
According to Jensen (2020), “besides a direct relation with higher intake of unhealthy foods, frequent use of food as a reward may also increase the risk of being overweight through long-term effects on eating behavior”. [3] This intervention fostered healthy behaviors as part of the UC ANR's commitment to promoting healthy people and communities.
When asked about the class series, one school principal remarked: "Our families enjoyed it and had fun. Cooking is community building. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the food bank and CalFresh." -Liberty Elementary School Principal
Sources:
1. Nalita James, Virginie Thériault. (2021) Reimagining community and belonging amid COVID-19. Studies in the Education of Adults 53:1, pages 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/02660830.2020.1811474
2. Bauer L. The COVID-19 crisis has already left too many children hungry in America. 2020. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/05/06/the-covid-19-crisis-has-already-left-too-many-children-hungry-in-america/. Accessed June 18, 2021
3. Jansen PW, Derks IPM, Mou Y, et al.Associations of parents' use of food as reward with children's eating behaviour and BMI in a population-based cohort. Pediatric Obesity. 2020;15:e12662.https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.1266210 of 10 JANSEN ET AL.
4. Kate Power (2020) The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families, Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16:1, 67-73, https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561
- 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
- Author: Shannon Klisch
- Author: Katherine E Soule
Essential services provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC delivered over 270 pounds of school garden produce and help farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Issue
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds and shelter at home orders impact every aspect of our daily life from school closures to increased unemployment, uncertain access to food is increasing for many Californians. Food insecurity is defined as having limited or uncertain access to adequate food and is linked to a myriad of negative health outcomes. Food assistance programs such as CalFresh (known nationally as SNAP/EBT) and the federal school meals program have demonstrated positive outcomes for decreasing food insecurity.
How UC Delivers
Staff from CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties (UC) lead a working group of the local Food System Coalition to increase the utilization of CalFresh Food and Market Match benefits at local farmers markets. Farmers markets provide an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing orders were put in place, market managers reached out to UC for support so the markets could stay open and safe for the community and vendors. In response, UC staff mobilized County resources to support social distancing measures at markets where EBT/CalFresh is accepted. Support provided by UC staff includes onboarding, supervision, and ongoing training of County Disaster Service Workers to staff high-traffic markets, signage to direct customers in following social distancing protocols in both English and Spanish, social media posting, and circulation of a media release to let the community know that the markets are safe, open, and accessible for people with CalFresh benefits.
To further support the food system and food security efforts, UC staff in partnership with school garden stakeholders, continue to provide the essential service of maintaining school gardens to ensure food is harvested and does not go to waste. UC staff have created videos educating students on what is growing in their school garden, healthy recipes and showing home gardeners how to plant seeds and harvest food safely.
THE IMPACT
These efforts have resulted in the harvest of over 270 pounds of produce from three school gardens. This food has gone directly back to the community through use in school meals and local food pantry distributions. Ongoing harvests and re-planting of these gardens are scheduled to ensure food resources are maximized.
Additionally, the County Disaster Service Workers have provided over 65 hours of food safety and social distancing support to farmers markets that accept EBT/CalFresh and offer the market incentive Market Match. The collaboration and training provided by CalFresh Healthy Living, UC has made it possible for markets to stay open and provide a safe and reliable source of food for low-income clients throughout San Luis Obispo County. Indeed, the staff has heard community members saying that farmers markets feel to them like one of the safest places to shop for food during the pandemic.
Supporting and enhancing food assistance programs such as acceptance of CalFresh at farmers markets and school food programs and pantries has been shown to increase access to fruits and vegetables and strengthen local and regional food systems. Collectively, these efforts support UC ANR's Public Value: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians, particularly as we face uncertainty during a global pandemic.
Quote
“I am so thankful for this help and for you for making this happen for [our farmers markets]. I don't know that I would be able to manage this without the volunteers. Thank you again.”
– Farmers Market Manager on the support of workers to keep the markets open and support social distancing efforts.
CalFresh Healthy Living, UC in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara is creating, posting, and sharing new content daily in both English and Spanish. You can follow them on Facebook (El Exito Es Salud, UC CalFresh SLOSB), YouTube (Spanish language channel coming soon), or Instagram (@elexitoessalud, @ucceslosb)!
