Background
A review of literature shows that few nutrition programs for middle school children involve a cooking component. The programs that do teach cooking tend to impart food preparation skills, food safety, hands-on tasting experiences and education about eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. These programs have demonstrated positive effects on food behaviors and have educational value. However, Youth Chef Academy is the only program discovered that features the combination of:
- Hands-on experience cooking meals using whole grains and plant foods
- An easily understandable whole-foods approach to nutrition
- Connection to home-cooking traditions, the local and global food system and awareness of local food options
These approaches come from a social cognitive theory of nutrition education that seeks to change behavior by addressing efficacy, environment and attitudes toward food. Youth Chef Academy is practical, experiential and connected to the real-life decisions around food. Students overcome resistance to tasting new foods and learn to discuss foods in positive terms. When students become safe, competent cooks, aware of the benefits of a whole-food and plant-based diet, connected to positive food traditions, and aware of the local food system, they are armed with the tools they to make positive food choices.
Purpose
The Youth Chef Academy aims to impart skills and knowledge that connect young people to healthy foods, empowering them with culinary skills to prepare healthy, tasty plant based meals and the context to appreciate their role in the local food system that produces and delivers food to them.
The Fondy Food Center was interested in working with an academic partner to test the feasibility of conducting the Youth Chef Academy in a classroom setting, and to design an evaluation of its effectiveness in achieving its goals.
Staff at the Fondy Food Center met Dr. Amy Harley, an Assistant Professor through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health.
Together, they developed an evaluation plan that will hopefully help demonstrate the effectiveness of the Youth Chef Academy.
Methods
The Youth Chef Academy is a 12 session hands-on cooking- based nutrition and food systems education program that takes place in middle school classrooms. In 2010 a study to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting the Youth Chef academy in a middle school classroom was conducted by the project partners.
This study will expand on the initial demonstration project and will compare four control and four intervention classrooms in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). The students will be compared on their: healthy food consumption behaviors, cooking skills, willingness to eat new foods, knowledge of the local food system, and knowledge of healthy eating habits.
The evaluation plan includes parent surveys, pre- and post- student surveys, observations of students’ willingness to try new foods and cooking skills, a brief parent phone interview at completion of the curriculum, and student discussion groups. Data will be analyzed by observing changes in scores from pre- and post-surveys and qualitatively based on observations made by project staff.
Timeline
July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2013
Anticipated Outcomes
Anticipated program outcomes include increased knowledge of the local food system and of whole foods; increased ability to make healthy food choices; experience testing new foods; and acquisition of culinary skills including safe handling of chef’s knives and safe usage of open-flame burners; and increased weekly fruit and vegetable intake.
Project Partners
Amy Harley, PhD, MPH, RD
Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health
Center Scientist, Center for Urban Population Health
Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Young Kim
Executive Director, Fondy Food Center
Lisa Kingery, MS, RD
Food & Nutrition Program Director, Fondy Food Center
Lora Jorgenson
Doctoral Student, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health
Brett Fuller
Curriculum Specialist, Milwaukee Public Schools
Kymm Mutch, MS, RD, CD
School Nutrition Services Administrator
Milwaukee Public Schools
