Brownsville organization helps teach children healthy eating
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — An organization in Brownsville is bringing summer education to the community.
The Scott Street Community Center is using the color of Skittles to teach children about healthy eating.
Haywood County 4-H agent with the University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension, Anica Alderson comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays to teach the students to exchange Skittles for a healthier option.
“They learned about tasting the rainbow with their fruits and vegetables,” Alderson said. “Now they [that] have that connection to Skittles, fruits and vegetables, they can make that decision to ‘make better choices in my eating habits.'”
The center has a five week summer program for kids in the community.
Along with learning healthy foods, the students have been able to participate in several different activities.
This includes building robotics at electric camp, and helping to grow their own vegetables in the community garden.
The center decided to reach out to the community through social media for donations. Director Achana Jarrett says they did not disappoint.
“No child this summer had to pay to attend summer camp here, and it is a five week camp, so that says a lot about our community and they have bought into what we do here,” Jarrett said.
Each week the center also makes different healthy alternative snacks for students to try.
Jarrett says this is a way to expose them to different kinds of nutrition.
“That inspires them to not only [use] what they learn here, but they can also carry that beyond the center, what they are doing here this summer,” Jarrett said.
Scott Street student Zanaria Shutes says after learning about food at the center, she is now mindful of what she eats.
“Some people think they should have sugar in their life, but you shouldn’t have too much sugar in your life,” Shutes said.
For more information on the Scott Street Community Center, check out their Facebook page.
