Progress 03/15/18 to 03/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The targeted students attended school in a disadvantaged area known as a Food Desert, which means limited or no access to fresh produce. The targeted schools were within 5 miles of the University and primarily served African American and Non-Hispanic students. The target audiences at each school varied by location. However, the overall targeted age groups were of Elementary and Middle School range. Over the life of the grant, the first year was impacted due to internal staffing issues and personnel changes at the proposed initial school locations. The project was plagued with major barriers for the remaining two years due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Changes/Problems:Over the grant period, we faced challenges due to changes in grant personnel, extensive time exhausted to hire replacement personnel, changes in school site personnel/administration, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which for the remaining 2 years of the grant limited in-person access to students. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to the pandemic, there was limited access to professional development opportunities. However, some virtual sessions included: Ask the Pros: Dealing with Mental Health during the holidays Trained as a Mental Health First Aider How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Over the course of the program, results have been disseminated to communities of interest via online web blogs and social media portals such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.Other distributions channels were the Chancellor's Reports to the Southern University Board of Supervisors, which is a newsletter to inform the Southern University System and stakeholders of grant program's progress; the partnership with LPB informed the state of Louisiana, via television, about this project and encouraged youth to participate in gardening activities and eat freshly grown produce. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Although the official grant has ended, to further assist with sustaining the project, the project director will utilize existing hoop house structures and greenhouses.The SU Ag Center's staff will provide instruction and technical assistance as needed or requested by the school's administration. The overall intent for the project over the life of the grant was to teach teachers and students transferable skills so they can teach others who live in food deserts how to grow fresh goods at a minimal cost.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over the life of the project, youth participants gained leadership skills, increased self-esteem, increased nutritional awareness and social skills, which increased social competence. To accomplish these goals, the staff provided curriculum instruction, primarily through the use of various virtual platforms, specifically Google Classroom. Sessions were offered during the school teaching period, including 9 weeks each summer at the ExxonMobil YMCA. Class sessions incorporated each of the performance measuresbecause participants were required to work individually as well as in groups. In the last 4-6months of the grant, participants had the opportunity to taste the produce they harvested, which reiterated the "plant it, grow it, try it, like it" concept of the project. To test their knowledge, participants were often given pop quizzes via Kahoot and Zoom polls. For example, youth were given activities and pop quizzes about how to select correct seasonal vegetable seeds, planning guides detailing the appropriate times to plant, and plant propagation. Each class session began with the Center for Restorative Approaches' (CRA) community building "Circle Time". Prior to the inception of this grant project, staff or "instructors" were trained through the CRA training and consulting services aimed at "schools, organizations, and businesses interested in using restorative practices to improve communication, foster more productive school and work environments, and to effectively prevent and resolve conflicts." Circle time allows community building in the classroom & provides a safe space for students to speak up and appropriately communicate their feelings. Having circle time is essential to youth development and the successful implementation of programs, as instructors are aware of youth's feelings to adequately teach the class sessions. This concept reiterates the need for holistic youth development programs that use gardening for therapeutic & educational purposes. The project brought significant awareness to youth and adults who needed & desired to learn more about making healthier life changes to better themselves and their communities. In retrospect, marked improvement in the attitude of students was observed at each school location. Due to delivery modes and the pandemic, data collection was limited. Based on curriculum instruction, participants were offered gardening opportunities, including but not limited to Garden site selection,Raised bed garden construction, material selection, and placement to also include potted and upside down plantings, Seasonal plant selections & locations for summer and fall gardens, and Harvesting & meal preparation/demonstration from plants grown by the students.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Polite, M. (2020, August 8). FACT SHEET: Food Insecurity in Louisiana as affected by COVID-19: How to Give and Receive Assistance. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Polite, M. (2021). Extensions Magazine: Wheres the Supply? Food Insecurity in Louisiana During a Pandemic. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Franklin, Tiffany (2022). Extensions Magazine. Food Insecurity: Its Not in My Mind!
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Progress 03/15/20 to 03/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience: The targeted students attend school in a disadvantaged area known as a Food Desert, which means limited or no access to fresh produce. The targeted schools are within 5 miles of the University and primarily serveAfrican American, and Non-Hispanic students. The target audiences at each school will vary by location. However, the overall targeted age groups are of Elementary and Middle School range. During this reporting period, the project faced challenges with providing services to the proposed schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes/Problems:As mentioned previously, there were many challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited in-person access. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the pandemic, there was a need to address youth-related concerns around mental health wellness and awareness. The project partnered with other members in the Youth Development area to provide a series of Mental Health-related FB Live sessions, with the assistance of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The sessions included coping with stress in the midst of a pandemic. Also, the Food Desert team received"Mental Health First-Aid" training. Through this training, the team is now able to work with youth and identify or acknowledge the need for additional mental health assistance. The staff ONLY serves as a resource or referral source. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through our partnership with Louisiana Broadcasting and ExxonMobil, we were able to disseminate information widely, across the state. Additionally, Fact Sheets and videotools wereshared with Louisiana Public Broadcasting Network, the SU Ag YouTube Channel, the Cooperative Extension social media site(s), as well as all, SU Ag Center social media portals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This is the final progress report for the grant cycle. The project plans to sustain existing garden sites in food deserts to ensure the local community is educated on the need to have fresh produce.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The overall goal of this project is to eradicate food deserts in neighborhoods through the development of school gardens by educating local community people and students on the importance of growing their own produce, which will utilize a hands-on approach to gardening. Specific Objectives are: 1. To increase nutritional awareness. 2. To increase leadership development skills, self-esteem and environmental stewardship among school age children. 3. To teach sustainable gardening techniques thatare transferable or easily replicated. Although there were challenges due to the pandemic, the overall objectives were met. There was an increase in community partners and their involvement with youth. Contact was limited but, engagement increased from a virtual platform using Google Classroom, Zoom, and MS Teams.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Polite, M. (2020, August 8). FACT SHEET: Food Insecurity in Louisiana as affected by COVID-19: How to Give and Receive Assistance . Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Polite, M. (2021). Extensions Magazine: Wheres the Supply? Food Insecurity in Louisiana During a Pandemic. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Progress 03/15/19 to 03/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The targeted students attend school in a disadvantaged area known as a Food Desert, which means limited or no access to fresh produce. The targeted schools are within five miles of the University and primarily serves African American, Non- Hispanic students. The target audiences at each school vary by location. However, the overall targeted age groups are 6th -8th grade youth. While all of the targeted populations are equally important to the project, a special emphasis is placed on the at-risk population to encourage positive youth development and provide youth with informal educational opportunities to increase food and agricultural literacy. In an effort to over come the initial challenges, J. K. Haynes Charter school has been added to the project and two additional schools have been invited to participate. The two new school locations, Baton Rouge University Prepartory Academy and Celerity Crestworth Charter School, bothfit the approved profile for the project being located in a Food Desert within a 5-mile radius of the University. Southern University Laboratory High School is still being utilized as a technical assistance training site and being maintained by a designated science teacher. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic has posed new challenges forproject implementation, as no face-to-face interactions are permitted to date. The new hire, Extension Gardener was hired a short period of time prior to face-to-face programming being halted. As stated previously, new schools are being contact to determine interest and participation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Since working remotely, our team has participated in several web-based professional development opportunities. Some include: Youth Workforce Development Workshop Series inUSDA's Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement, in collaboration with the Regional Rural Development Centers Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve Achieveing the Extension Mission Through Volunteers No Kid Hungry- New grant opportunity to increase food security among children from birth - five years old Southern University Ag Center Fall Garden Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information dealing with overview and potential impacts of the project, all publicantions, videos have been distributed tothe Southern University System and the 1890 Communities. Some recent community Video Links: S U Ag Center_A simple way to start plants from seed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFFLm9seoDg Southern University Ag_Fruit Tree Planting:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8HDu97wpo8 Southern University Ag_Chef Celeste_Preparing Garden Vegetables and Fresh Produce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOM2h7TqFow . Southern University Ag_Spoken Word Poetry with Peteh Haroon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgVqOZOI6NI S U Ag Center_Eagle Garden_JK Haynes Charter School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLEurDJAdhw LILLIE HOWARD-SMALL FARMS_PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw4MS6sCw74 LILLIE HOWARD-Small Farms Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it__aBwzK0s&t=3s. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will find additional school locations and hire new personnel to assit with accomplishing the projected objectives: 1. Increase nutritional awareness. 2. Increase leadership development skills, self-esteem and environmental stewardship among school age children. 3. Teach sustainable gardening techniques that are transferable or easily replicated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the annual reporting period, tremendous progress has been made with the production of several audio/visual products through the established collaborations with Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) and ExxonMobil. Additionally, one of the three sites has full participation from the students and school administration. Two additional schools have been contacted to determine interest and the staff is confident they will be on board for the remainder of the project. J.K. Haynes is progressing well to date. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, class sessions are provided via Zoom and Google classroom. SU Ag staff works with the designated teacher to do the outdoor garden preparations, while practicing social distancing. The SU Ag Center staff does not come in direct contact with the students in an effort to follow university, state DHH,and CDC guidelines ofstopping the spread Coronavirus.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Polite, M. (2020, August 8). FACT SHEET: Food Insecurity in Louisiana as affected by COVID-19: How to Give and Receive Assistance . Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
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Progress 03/15/18 to 03/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The targeted students attend school in a disadvantaged area known as a Food Desert, which means limited or no access to fresh produce. The targeted schools are within five miles of the University and primarily serves African American, Non-Hispanic students. The target audiences at each school vary by location. However, the overall targeted age groups are 6th - 8th grade youth. At the High School where gardening classes are provided by SU Ag Center staff, the class is an agriculture elective, which engages students in 9th - 12th grades. During this reporting period, the project faced challenges with providing services to the propsed schools. A large part of metro Baton Rouge was impacted by the2016 flood and our proposed sites were trying to rebuild and reorganize. Changes/Problems:After receiving notification of the award to implement the project, whileattempting to contact the three school principals for the proposed locations, there was no response. After contacting a former school board member, it was determined that AMI Kids had closed and there was new leadership at Crestworth Elementary School (Pre-K- 5thgrade).Glen Oaks Park Elementary was non-responsive after several attempts were made to discuss plans for implementation. We lost a project staff but, we are in an advanced stage of hiring another qualified staff to assist in project implementation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project director attended an internal professional development seminar as part of the SU Ag Center Convocation which dealt with the use of social media, budget management, and accountability. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information dealing with overview and potential impacts of the new project was shared with Southern Universityand the 1890 Communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will find additional school locations and hire new personnel to assit with accomplishing the projected objectives: 1. Increase nutritional awareness. 2. Increase leadership development skills, self-esteem and environmental stewardship among school age children. 3. Teach sustainable gardening techniques thatare transferable or easily replicated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Approximately 21/2 months after receiving notification of the award, the Cooperative Extension Unit (and other units) of the SU Agricultural Center and its employees weremoved to another location on campus. This was to allow for renovation and repairs of the main building A. O. Williams Hall. The new location hasextremely limited office space to house all staff. In addition, we lost a project staff who normally assist in establishing gardens in schools and communities;we are in the process of replacing this staff. We did execute the collaboration agreements with Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) and ExxonMobile sponsored Youth Group for professional services. We could not establish desired gardens to achieve our initialobjectivesas the project was understaffed and school locations were relocated or not reopened after the 2016 Great Flood in the Baton Rouge area. Plans were on targetto accomplish the objectives as soon as schools reopened for the students to conduct outdoor activities.
Publications
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