The responsibilities of the FCS Advisory Leadership Council are to represent their peers, identify needs and issues, identify opportunities for collaboration, be active in sharing their skills and knowledge to help the parish and understand Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service as a community resource.
Next Meeting Date:
Aug. 1, 2007
FCS Advisory Leadership Council Members
|
Name |
Affiliation |
| Terry Voight |
TVFC Literacy chairman |
| Teresa Mixon |
Foster parent and teacher |
| Tricia McCain |
Chesbrough elementary teacher |
| Carolyn McGraw |
Amite, principal |
| Yvonne Chapman |
Kentwood parent and teacher |
| Lynda Helms |
Dept. Social Services |
| Maureen Felder |
State VFC Leadership Committee |
| Maxine Biggs |
TVFC council president |
Minutes from Meetings
Kathy Mauthe opened the first FCS Advisory Leadership Council Meeting at 9:30 am on April 4, 2006 and began with a review of the mission of the Cooperative Extension Service. She explained why those present were invited to the meeting and their possible roles which would be to legitimize Extension programs by serving as ambassadors in the community and as advisors to Extension. Their role is to represent peers in the community by serving as a go-between to identify needs and issues and advise how to address them with programs available through Extension. There would be a collaboration of identifying opportunities and sharing skills.
Kathy then reviewed the situation statements listing various programs FCS can address and asked the participants to look over the statements and consider needs and issues in the community that need attention. In Child Development, Annie Coco said Patricia Miller, our staff member who had been teaching parenting classes, will be retiring at the end of June; however, someone can come from St. Tammany Parish to provide parenting classes for the time Patricia is on leave. Our office has not had many referrals since hurricane Katrina. Linda Helms said many evacuees who have moved into the area are still unsettled. Kathy said FCS agents were assigned certain programs covering various geographical areas. The agent in St. Tammany Parish would serve the Washington, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany area. Theresa Mixon told of how some mothers are on drugs and need parenting classes, but don’t attend. She said every parent in Livingston parish must attend parenting classes.
In Family Resource Management, Kathy told about the High School Financial Management classes taught to high school teachers. Free materials to be given to the teachers and students are provided by the Jump Start Coalition. Maureen Felder noted the program does not reach the elementary age group. Kathy said there is the Cash Kids program for the elementary level. She said teachers love these programs because all materials, including workbooks, are provided free from the Credit Bureau. She then described aspects of the Real World and All My Money programs. She said some people do not attend these programs because they do not like to discuss money. She said the Credit Bureau learned that children learn money and budget habits by the example set by their parents. She told the group there is also a program on identity theft.
For Nutrition Education, Kathy explained the fiscal year of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) runs October 1st through September 30th. She said EFNEP will end this year and FNP will begin. She introduced Linda Edwards as the Nutrition Educator for our parish. Linda described the EFNEP program and its Smart Choices lessons which show people ways to improve their diets, how to manage their food dollars, and the importance of exercise. She said childhood obesity is a growing problem. She also said it is easier to work with 4th graders and try to get them to change their eating habits because adults have difficulty changing. She teaches children to change their habits now for better, healthier lives later.
Kathy said in the past EFNEP has had several Nutrition Educators serving assigned parts of Tangipahoa Parish; but with FNP there will be only one Nutrition Educator. Yvonne Chapman gave praise for the value of the program for children. Maureen Felder asked about vending machines in the schools, stating this was one of the issues Tangipahoa Volunteers for Family & Community (TVFC) is working with on the state level. Several in the group responded there have been some improvements. She said it is good to see some changes being made.
Kathy went over the member roles and responsibilities, reminding the members they have signed on for three years. She said the minutes will be posted on the Tangipahoa Parish Extension Service website. Annie Coco said because part of the budget for Extension comes from the parish Council and the School Board, anyone from these entities could go to the website to see that people from the community are involved in meetings and programs to help the parish community at large. Kathy asked the members to identify concerns of the community and what needs to be addressed – what could be the main focus.
Tricia McCain said because of an increase of diabetes in children, she sees a need to teach children how to live with diabetes and have better nutrition. Discussion followed about getting programs in the lower end of the parish. Linda Edwards said there are some problems; some places do not want programs because they see no need. Kathy explained while EFNEP works primarily with youth, adults also were to be enrolled, but there were some safety concerns for staff members. With FNP, the parish program may go solely to schools. Linda Helms said in her work with Job Readiness, she sees parents connected with some of these children and the only thing they want is the Louisiana Purchase card – the “gold card.” She said Linda Edwards’ work with the parents is needed because of the lessons on budgeting their food dollars and eating better for less. She sees many more of these parents are reading labels. This could be passed along to their children.
Kathy said reading labels is tied in with literacy, a program supported by the TVFC. Yvonne Chapman said another person is needed to cover more of the parish. Kathy told the members of some problems experienced with schools in the lower end of the parish. For example, one school wanted nutrition education classes held at times and days that would not fit into the educators’ schedules. Annie Coco suggested it may be possible to get help by including nutrition with the parenting classes.
Kathy said there is a position for an FNP agent in the Washington, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany parishes who would work with the Smart Bodies program. In the program a school signs up for 12 weeks, the agent teaches the teachers, free workbooks are provided for the children and there is a Body Walk at the end of the program. After the 12 weeks of training, the program is not done by the agent. The focus is at the kindergarten level.
Theresa Mixon said her school was signed up for the classes and they received the doll and binders, but they never had the program because the agent left. The Body Walk was scheduled, but it never happened because the classes were not taught. One of the schools in the parish has pictures on the parish website. Kathy said the main difference between FNP and EFNEP is FNP teaches the teachers while EFNEP teaches the children.
Yvonne Chapman gave her experience of the Smart Body lessons from the teacher’s point of view, saying it helps the students with their health sciences. She said it needs to be worked into the schedule.
Maureen Felder said there is some embarrassment in the child with diabetes if they pass out. She said it is good to have all those around be aware of what those with diabetes are going through. Theresa Mixon said teacher awareness of student health in the classroom is important. She gave an example of a student who was drinking water frequently and alerted the student’s mother.
Kathy said there is a need to address childhood diabetes. It appears to be a major need and concern. She said the focus could be on diabetes, nutrition and hypertension. She also said the nutrition program Smart Choices should be taught in as many schools as possible, especially Ponchatoula and Loranger. Terry Voight said the Character Counts program usually is scheduled for September, but it was disrupted last year by hurricane Katrina. She expressed concern about crowding 4th graders’ schedules because they are already preparing for the LEAP test. There was discussion on this. Some members said the programs help especially when done at the beginning of the school year before LEAP. Kathy suggested it might be better to target third graders. Yvonne Chapman said she hopes to get nutrition classes in more schools because she stays in the classroom and the lessons are right on target.
Kathy reviewed the three main issues:
(1) The major issue and focus will be on childhood obesity.
(2) The way we will address this is by having more schools participate in programs and developing more awareness of health problems as a result of childhood obesity.
(3) We will implement the Smart Bodies program.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:45 am.