Sept. 12, 2003Sept. 12, 2003
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| Participating
in the ribbon-cutting ceremony (from left): student Miles Drummond, Principal Terry Frazee, UM Executive Vice President Ron Turner, Human Environmental Sciences Program Leader Jo Britt-Rankin and student Morgan George. |
Missouri elementary school children will get a fun, memorable look at the importance of proper exercise and diet, thanks to a traveling Food Power Adventure exhibit created by University nutrition experts.
"Food Power Adventure is about teaching kids the connection between proper food choices and physical activity," said Ann Cohen, MU associate state nutrition specialist. "The Adventure exhibit takes them from the farmer's field to the playing field, and explains how eating proper foods will give them the energy and nutrients to be active and have fun."
UO/E unveiled the exhibit at Hallsville Elementary School, Sept. 5. There, about 450 students took the 45-minute tour.
Students move through nine stations in the exhibit, which typically will be set up in elementary school gymnasiums or other large areas. The first station is a couch-sized slice of pizza, with displays of the animals and crops used to make the pizza ingredients. Additional stations cover food labels and what they mean to choosing healthy food, and how to create a nutritionally balanced meal plate when faced with many choices.
Students then enter a series of tunnels and rooms representing the human body. From the mouth, through the stomach and to the muscles and bones, they learn what happens to food as it's broken down and used by the body.
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| Leah
Beal, manager of the Food Power exhibit, leads an activity with students from Hallsville Elementary School. Beal will take the exhibit to schools throughout the state. |
One of the best ways to teach young children complex ideas is to make the learning fun," Cohen said.
"We've just begun to add a health class, including subjects such as nutrition and physical activity, to our kindergarten through fourth-grade students," said Terry Frazee, principal at the Boone County school. "It's perfect timing to be part of the Food Power project.
"We educators know that proper nutrition is so important to having students who are healthy and able to be in the classroom ready to learn," he said. Teaching concepts of proper eating to young children isn't easy. "That's the beauty of an active exhibit like this. They get engaged in the process, which helps them learn and retain the information. It also gives our teachers something to follow up on in the classroom." Studies show that teaching children proper habits is likely to influence their eating and activity habits as adults.
The exhibit is transported in a large van. That van, emblazoned with the Food Power graphics, will crisscross the state during the coming school year.
"We have it booked every day, Tuesday through Friday, from September through the end of the school year," Cohen said. About 50,000 students and 12,000 teachers, parents and community volunteers will participate in Food Power.
The Food Power program, which includes the exhibit and in-class education pieces, was created by the MU Department of Nutritional Sciences and is funded through one-time monies from University Outreach and Extension.
The 4-H After-School Academic Program is featured in "No More Islands: Family Involvement in 27 School and Youth Programs," published by the American Youth Policy Forum. 4-H ASAP was chosen exemplify 4-H youth programs nationwide.
No More Islands examines youth programs with a family-involvement component, which research has revealed is connected to school success. The AYPF examined more than 100 evaluations of school/youth program projects to identify success factors.
AYPF provides Congress and the Executive Branch with information and experiences useful in the development of an effective youth education, training and transition-to-employment system.
Project LIFE has published two books on domestic violence "DV 101: The Nature and Dynamics of Domestic Violence" and "A Woman's Guide: Healing from Trauma."
"DV 101" examines domestic violence both from the perspective of experts and the victims of domestic abuse. The book covers emotional, physical and sexual abuse; characteristics of victims and abusers; effects on children; and the cycle of violence.
The book is a cooperative venture with The Shelter, a domestic violence shelter in Columbia. A companion piece, "A Woman's Guide" by Project LIFE Editor Kristen Heitkamp, is designed to help women who have experienced domestic violence and other traumas. The book provides information about trauma-related disorders and treatment.
The books were funded with a grant from the Missouri Department of Mental Health's Comprehensive Psychiatric Services.
Project LIFE is a cooperative program between University of Missouri Outreach and Extension and the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Project LIFE develops programs to promote independence and well-being among people with mental illness.
There is no charge for multiple copies of "DV 101" or single copies of "A Woman's Guide." To order, contact Project LIFE, 623 Clark Hall, Columbia, MO 65211; (314) 882-7087 or 1 (800) 392-7348; visit their website.
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Eileen Yager,
yagere@umsystem.edu |
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