Program Highlights

WSU Extension Teams Up with OSPI - Child Nutrition Services

Team Nutrition Training Grant to Benefit Sunnyslope Elementary Students

Local Project Staff: Elizabeth Card, Team Nutrition classroom assistant, Ariana Shanley, Director Food & Nutrition Services, Patti Pearson, Food $ense nutrition educator and Gayle Alleman, Food $ense Coordinator, Kitsap County Extension.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded Washington State a two-year Team Nutrition Training Grant - a first for our state! The two-year grant is administered by OSPI Child Nutrition Services with direct nutrition education implemented by Food $ense staff at the WSU Kitsap County Extension office. The project is designed to improve nutrition knowledge, skills, and practices of youth and their parents at Sunnyslope Elementary in Kitsap County and through the summer feeding program. The project provides 16 Jr. Chef lessons for grades 3 - 6, parent newsletters, school menu modifications, and nutrition resources for the school library.

The Jr. Chef Club

Jr. Chef lessons teach about basic nutrition, food and kitchen safety, food preparation and physical activity. Hands-on activities reinforce math, reading and science objectives and align closely to the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). A fully equipped cooking cart facilitates food preparation by Jr.Chef students, who also receive The Jr. Chef Club Cookbook.

Team Nutrition Resources
Certified teachers reviewed selected Team Nutrition materials in order to align them with the EALRs and to increase use of them in the classroom.

PROJECT OUTCOMES
Several baseline and endpoint measures at both control and intervention schools will help assess the impact of the project on students and their parents. In year two, the project successes will be summarized as "Best Practices" for utilizing Team Nutrition and Jr. Chef materials in an elementary school setting.