Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
If the students of Wood Elementary (Iowa City Community School District) were physically active from bell to bell during their physical education class, they would still fall short of the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity. For students to succeed, they need the assistance of parents and other adults. To be healthy, they also need to eat nutritious foods. Through a Healthy Communities Initiative that is part of a Community Wellness Grant, several agencies are reaching out to families with students attending Wood Elementary in Iowa City to help them meet this goal.

Response:
The Johnson County Board of Health, Johnson County Department of Public Health, Iowa City Community School District, and Johnson County Extension are working together to offer a series of 6 Family Night Out Events. Two have been held to date with the third scheduled for September 2009. The sessions are held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Dinner is served each evening (Stuffed Pasta Shells - EFNEP Calendar recipe; Tacos) with serving completed by 6 PM. Through pictures on their nametags, families know the sequence of their evening classes. Adults and children rotate to the 30 minute classes together attending sessions on physical activity, literacy, and nutrition. At each class they also made a goal commitment – something they plan to work on as a family before the next session. At the first session we only had about 38 persons attending; the second session attracted over 100 persons. Registration figures for the third session are up to 160 which shows a nice increase in interest.

Impact:
really appreciated having time together as a family. The Physical Activity Sessions were quite popular. The parents had the opportunity to experience the same fitness test their children take. In the literacy sessions, they received a different book at each session – the Healthy Monster Book and D. W. and the Picky Eater. In the nutrition classes, the adults learned how easy it is to add more vegetables to a casserole and how to make food for the freezer. They also learned about reducing the fat by rinsing red meats or using a combination of red meat and poultry. The students learned to make 2 snacks – fruit kabobs which could be dipped in yogurt and apple smiles. Several of the families commented how much they appreciated the time together as a family and being with other families to share information. Following a class I taught recently, one of the participants shared that her family had attended the Family Night Out. She was very happy to share that she was rinsing the ground meat like we had taught her AND her children were enjoying the low-fat black bean salsa she learned to make while attending the class.

 

Contact:
Jan Temple
Johnson County Extension
4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd SE
Iowa City, IA 52246
319-337-2145 x116