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Lisa Whittlesey, Extension Program Specialist – JMG Program Director

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Research Project: Texas Grow! Eat! Go!Expansion/Implementation/Research

Study Project

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LGEG Evidence Based Outcomes

Significant Improvements in:• Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity• Total Physical Activity• Vegetables Consumption• Vegetable Preferences• Healthy Beverage Preferences• Self-Efficacy & Knowledge• Parent/child cooking, physical activity and gardening• Reaches into the home to support positive family health practices

BMI Significantly Reduced for CATCH + Junior Master Gardener and CATCH + Walk Across Texas

Preliminary Conclusion: Family-focused garden, nutrition and physical activity programs significantly improve health behaviors in children.

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An Overview and Resources!

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CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION• 10 week – lessons aligned to academic

standards• Student garden journals• Math within Garden Kitchen recipes• Literature connections with children’s literature

books• Family engagement resources online• Joseph Plants a Garden take home family stories

and activities• Service-learning opportunity• JMG certification opportunity• English and Spanish materials• Lessons have purpose with behavioral outcomes

in mind! Greatest impact, deliver program as prescribed, with all components!

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Local Extensionsupportprovideinfo onyour localplantingdates

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Class makes 3 different stones for each crop growing:

label stone:

nutrient stone:

benefit stone:

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• GARDENS - raised beds or container gardens• Grow featured nutrient-dense vegetables

• Carrot• Red leaf/loose leaf lettuce• Broccoli• Potatoes• Swiss chard• Bell pepper• Cauliflower• Spinach• Oriental cabbage – Bok Choy• Cherry tomatoes• Sugar snap peas• Squash

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Quick & Easy Garden Kit

• Getting Materials: What are we growing?- growing 6 seasonal crops- 3 square ft. plantings of each- extra space for kids to choice plantings- simplicity of steps/supplies

Sample cool season 3x7 raised bed:

kidsʼchoice

kidsʼchoice

kidsʼchoice

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Food Exposure• 1st exposure: Evaluation

of fresh vegetable sample in classroom

• 2nd Exposure: Garden Kitchen recipe demonstrations in classroom with featured vegetables

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• GoStrong - Physical “brain break” activities to use in the classroom

• Promotion of gardening physical activity components

• Walk Across Texas – enrollment • Walk Across Texas – classroom lessons

available online• You may also use your state walking

program or other

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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT!!

Newsletters, parent letters, lessons/journals/recipes into the home

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appendix:

• Intro letter to parents

• weekly update letters

If you have access to volunteers, this page lays out specific tasks teachers or group leaders can assign them to help:

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www.JMGkids.us/LGEG

teacher support, agent support, volunteer support

Make your job easier:– Resource links for gardening,

recipe videos, and support materials

– Agent support – teacher &volunteer training workshop kits

– parent lettersstudent worksheetsgarden kitchen recipesgarden journals

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www.JMGkids.us/LGEG

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www.JMGkids.us/LGEG

Working with schools:• Training• Marketing/promotional support• Scheduling/coordination

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Better Living for Texans (BLT)… and Learn, Grow, Eat & GO!

Funding to support local JMG/LGEG programs

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Preparing for the program…Commitments

Principal LetterTeacher Match Form

FundingCounty BLT fundsSupplemental LGEG funds County Supplemental LGEG Funds Request Form

Community donationsNote: LGEG funds dependent on HHSC funding

Survey PreparationContact Katy Gottwald in Organizational Development for instructions

Note: Current surveys (pre and post) MUST be used

BLT Supports LGEG

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Implementing the program…Purchasing Supplies

Curriculum and materialsLGEG Supplies ListSupplies – appropriate for purpose and of reasonable cost (if inappropriate – may be asked to return item or pay with other funds)Teaching gardensIncentives – AgriLife Bookstore (no charge)

Teacher InvolvementTeacher led activitiesMinimum of 40 hours per school/siteRecord match time

SurveysPre and Post Surveys – paired for each studentParent Retrospective Post Survey

BLT Supports LGEG

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After the program…Surveys

Follow instructions on mailing paper surveys to Organizational Development – student and parent

Use of BLT funds dependent on completed and submitted surveys (pre and post)

ReportingTeacher Match Logs

TexasData

BLT County Program Tracking Form

BLT Supports LGEG

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Learn, Grow, Eat & GO

• Evidenced based program that supports Healthy South Texas & BLT Programing

• Integrated county program – FCH, ANR, 4-H, Horticulture

• 2019 State Report ü 119 out of 254 counties reported, 9275 pre tests and 6322 post testsü 82.6 % respondents 7-10 yearsü Increases in vegetable preferences for all 12 vegetables, healthier

beverage selection, increase physical activity, decrease screen time, increased vegetable consumption, and increases on all questions related to family engagement. www.jmgkids.us

ü 67.4% students reported gardening made them a better math and science student and 66.2% of students said that the LGEG program at school made them want to come to school

• MUST have pre and post tests. Agents and volunteers should work with schools to administer pre tests PRIOR to any programming. Post tests should be completed after all programming is completed. Online format is preferred due to less error.

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Questions related to LGEGCaren Waltonccwalton@tamu.edu

Lisa WhittleseyL-whittlesey@tamu.edu

979.845.8565

www.jmgkids.us/lgeg

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