Released: June 05, 2001

Shawnee County Program Wins National Award

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Shawnee County agencies have worked together to create a program that helps kids improve their reading skills and learn to cook, too. And, their efforts have not gone unnoticed: The Home Baking Association has chosen the local program – "Be A Book Cook" – as the first-place winner in the Extension category of their national educator award contest.

Partners in the award-winning program include the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library; USD #501 Parents As Teachers; USD #501 Family & Consumer Sciences programs; and Kansas State University Research and Extension, Shawnee County.

Local agencies – the Regional Prevention Center; the Active 20/30 Club; Success By 6 (United Way of Topeka); and Kiwanis – also have stepped forward to help with funding for the program, said Cindy Evans, K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Shawnee County, who organized the educational effort.

"‘Be A Book Cook’ helps children improve their reading skills and learn about food and how to cook it. After story time, families move to a variety of activity centers where they help their children prepare foods referred to in the book," Evans said.

"Parents as Teachers and youth from high school family and consumer sciences programs assist families at activity stations that involve crafts, music, physical and cognitive skills from the featured story," she said.

Children who attend ‘Be a Book Cook’ take home a copy of the book, a recipe, and the ingredients needed to make the simple-but-good recipe at home.

Preparing the recipe gives children a sense of accomplishment. It also helps them learn to be more self confident. And, spending time in the kitchen is likely to help them improve math – counting and measuring – skills and hand-to-eye coordination. Learning to follow directions also is one of the benefits of the program, Evans said.

"More than 170 family members participated in the program last year. The lessons are geared to young families with children who are first grade or younger, but it attracts the interest of older children, too. The program brings families together," she said.

The concept of the teaching tool originated as Evans created local programs to support efforts for the Family Nutrition Program (FNP), a national nutrition education program that is administered in the state by K-State Research and Extension. With agent input, FNP has adapted the program for use statewide.

As the first-place national award recipient, Evans earned an expense-paid trip to the Association’s annual meeting at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Wash., where she’ll present a

how-to session on the ‘Be a Book Cook’ program in Kansas.

For more information on this award-winning program and other educational opportunities offered by the Shawnee County Extension office, call (785) 232-0062.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Nancy Peterson, Communications Specialist
npeterso@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News