What is the program?

Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) provides the “Show Me Nutrition” curriculum for Pre-K through 8^th grade and the “Cooking Matters for Teens” program just for teens to learn about healthy eating and cooking. These programs offered through MSUE build on improving the attitudes and health of families while engaging the children. Parent volunteers, paraprofessionals and/or teachers are provided in-service training to continue nutrition education within the classroom once MSUE programing is complete. Both the “Show Me Nutrition” and the “Cooking Matters for Teens” programs are funded by SNAP Ed funding through the USDA, the same funding source received by the Saginaw ISD for the “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” program. SNAP funding can only be used in schools that have 50% or more of their students using the free and reduced lunch program. In the 2015-16 school year, MSUE will be in approximately 25 classrooms using either the “Show Me Nutrition” curriculum or the “Cooking Matters for Teens” program. These programs provide the following:

• “Show Me Nutrition” curriculum for Pre-K through 8^th grade: Participants have the opportunity to engage in age appropriate, interactive, hands-on activities that promote good eating habits, positive body image, physical activity and food safety. Through each interesting and fun nutrition class, students gain the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices. The six week program covers eight different lessons throughout the school year and is taught in school classrooms.

• “Cooking Matters for Teens” program: This program was designed just for teens to learn about healthy eating and cooking. This program consists of six lessons, lasting approximately two hours each. A nutrition instructor and chef team up to provide interactive lessons to help teens build skills and confidence in making healthy meals. The program includes the following: participatory food preparation that provides cooking and food safety instruction, engaging nutrition activities and discussions, practice with food budgeting, recipe book for use at home, cutting board, and a certificate of completion.

How will grant dollars be used?

Funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF) grant would be used for MSUE to pilot their “Show Me Nutrition” or “Cooking Matters for Teens” program to 25 classrooms/500 students currently not served by either of the MSUE programs or the Saginaw ISD’s “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds” program because of SNAP-Ed funding of only serving schools that have 50% or more of their students using the free and reduced lunch program. The 2016-17 pilot year will build relationships with elementary and secondary school children and their parents through building community partnerships. Currently in Saginaw County there are eight high schools, five middle schools and 12 elementary schools that do not qualify for the free and reduced lunch program – some of them missing the programming benefits offered through the Saginaw ISD and MSUE by only 2% (only 48% of the students are on free or reduced lunch).

Grant funds would also be used for MSUE to conduct a Policy System Environment analysis to explore how programs, evidence based and available through MSUE build on the improving the attitudes and health of the families while engaging the children. We would also offer quarterly in-service education to parent volunteers, teachers and paraprofessionals to incorporate nutrition instruction in their daily classroom instruction. We also anticipate reaching indirectly over 1,000 parents and caregivers through MSUE Nutrition Newsletters, recipes and other hand-outs.

Who do they collaborate with?

MSUE receives SNAP-Ed funding through the Michigan Fitness Foundation and therefore works closely with other SNAP-Ed funded programs in the state. MSUE also works closely with the Saginaw ISD to ensure that there is no duplication of services and that both agencies are working hard to meet the needs of the communities they serve. MSUE and Saginaw ISD not only share schools when providing services, the agencies also do various levels of programming based on their areas of expertise. Saginaw ISD may be in one building doing K-5 classroom instruction while MSUE works with food service staff to create healthier lunchrooms. With the MHEF grant, Pulse3 Foundation will be able to incorporate their “Learn with Heart” toolkits into the nutritional education programming provided to 25 classrooms in schools with a 50% or higher free and reduced lunch rates and 25 classrooms in schools that do not qualify for free/reduced lunch.

MSUE is also an active member of the Obesity Action Group, a subcommittee of the Saginaw Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The focus of the group is to reduce obesity and to improve the lives of those residents in Saginaw County. These quarterly meetings allow for sharing, collaborating and networking with other agencies on the subject of healthy lifestyles. The agencies represented promote one another’s programs, support community initiatives and work on joint programming to meet the needs of the people in Saginaw County. MSUE will also be working with the Downtown Saginaw Farmers Market to begin offering locally grown produce through their program instead of purchasing fresh produce at Gordons Food Service.

What’s the plan for sustainability?

By teaching 25 parent volunteers, paraprofessionals and/or teachers on how to continue nutrition education within the classroom, these individuals will be able to provide this programming once MSUE staff is gone. MSUE will provide yearly check-ins with the trained individuals to provide them with professional development to maintain the energy level for the programming pending grant funding. Furthermore, MSUE anticipates reaching indirectly over 1,000 parents and caregivers through MSUE Nutrition Newsletters, recipes and other hand-outs. Ideally, if the program is proven equally or more successful in the 25 pilot schools, MSUE will seek funding to continue to continue the program.