SU Ag Center’s FF-NEWS provides nutrition education to youth in Summer Business Institute

East Baton Rouge Parish Nutrition Educator Marquetta Anderson teaches the MyPlate Healthy Eating Style to youth enrolled in the Garrett A. Morgan Summer Business Institute. 

Kiyana Kelly (standing on the far right), a nutrition educator for East Baton Rouge Parish, provides instructions while students prepare whole grain quesadillas.

Baton Rouge, LA – The SU Ag Center’s Families First Nutrition Education and Wellness System (FF-NEWS) continues to partner with local summer enrichment programs for children and youth across the state of Louisiana.

On June 29 – 30, 2016, East Baton Rouge Parish Nutrition Educators Marquetta L. Anderson and Kiyana E. Kelly presented to 4^th – 12^th graders at the Garrett A. Morgan Summer Business Institute. The Institute offers core academic courses and guides children and youth through the process of starting businesses with hands-on, real world startup activities.

Anderson and Kelly covered nutrition topics such as: Incorporating the MyPlate Healthy Eating Style, Healthy Summer Snacking, Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains, and Careers in Nutrition.

Students also participated in a hands-on food demonstration following the lecture. They were able to identify whole grains versus refined grains based on the food label and product packaging. The students then prepared whole grain quesadillas. Several students expressed it was their first time willing trying whole grain products. When asked what they learned from the nutrition presentation, the answers varied. Bryce Brown, an 8^th grader, responded, “I learned that each food group provides different nutrients that our bodies need to function properly.” His classmates applauded.

For more information about the SU Ag Center’s nutrition program, call 225-771-2242 or e-mail ellen_mcknight@suagcenter.com.

                                                                                                                                                           

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C.H.E.F Camp set to begin on July 11 in St. Helena Parish

Chef Stephen Curry giving a tour of the industrial kitchen at the Northshore Technical Community College.

Baton Rouge, LA – The Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods (C.H.E.F.) Camp will kick-off July 11-15 at the Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) in Greensburg, La.  Fifteen students ages 10-15 will work through a one-week fast-track course, learning to prepare healthy meals.

“This is our very first time holding a C.H.E.F Camp in St. Helena Parish, and we’re very excited about this opportunity! I’ve been working closely with Extension Associate, Kelli Hollins from the SU Ag Center and Chef Stephen Curry from NTCC to make sure this camp goes off without a hitch,” said SU Ag Center Assistant Area Agent, Nicolette Gordon.

On June 27^th Gordon and Chef Curry did a final walk through in preparation to familiarize Gordon and camp volunteers with NTCC’s industrial kitchen.  Chef Curry also discussed safety procedures for handling all equipment that inspiring young chefs will use while attending the camp.  The C.H.E.F. Camp will conclude on July 15^th, with a Lunch & Learn fieldtrip to the New Orleans School of Cooking.  Students will watch as some of New Orleans’ most revered chefs’ whip up some of South Louisiana’s savory dishes. 

For more information on the C.H.E.F. Camp, contact Nicolette Gordon in St. Helena on Tuesday and Thursday at 225-222-4136.

                               

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Record Breaking Numbers Traveled to Baton Rouge for the SU Ag Center’s 2016 Family & Youth Exposition

All Lives Matter Workshop presented by Louisiana State Trooper James Jefferson.

SU Ag Center Family & Youth Expo 2016 Talent Show participant Jomarion Tate.

Baton Rouge, LA – On June 16, thirty students from Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes traveled to the Southern University Ag Center to participate in the 2016 Family & Youth Exposition. This three-day educational, but fun filled experience brought nearly 450 youth from around the state of Louisiana. This year’s Expo was themed, “Always Seeking Knowledge (A.S.K.).”

On June 17, many youth participants were engaged in a 50 minute workshop conducted by Louisiana State Trooper, James Jefferson. Students were presented with scenarios and discussed the proper ways to deescalate a hostile environment during routine traffic stops.  Jefferson also provided youth with the proper chain of command when filing complaints for unlawful treatment.

The evening concluded with a talent show, featuring over ten acts.  For the very first time Tangipahoa Parish's, Jomarion Tate of Kentwood, La. wowed the crowd as he performed a liturgical dance to Jessica Reedy’s gospel hit single, “Better.”

“I’m very thankful for community leaders stepping in to make the Family & Youth Expo possible. Former Mayor and NFL player Michael Jackson of Tangipahoa Parish; the Town of Kentwood’s Mayor Irma Gordon along with the town’s council members Paul Stewart, Evelyn Williams, Gary Callihan and Terrell Hookfin; and Sheriff Nathaniel Williams of St. Helena Parish, were very instrumental in making sure that our children could get such a great experience,” said Nicolette Gordon, SU Ag Center Assistant Area Agent.

Students from both St. Helena and Tangipahoa are already making plans to attend next year’s Family & Youth Expo that is tentatively scheduled for June 15 -17, 2017.

For more information on youth programs in St. Helena and Tangipahoa Parishes, contact SU Ag Center Assistant Area Agent, Nicolette Gordon at 225.222.4136 or 985.748.9381.

                               

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Space still available for the SU Ag Center’s CHEF Youth Summer Cooking Camp

Registration Form

Baton Rouge, LA – Space is still available for the second session of the Southern University Ag Center’s “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” (C.H.E.F.) youth cooking camp. This session is open to youth ages 12-15.

The C.H.E.F. cooking camp will be held from July 18-21, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., in Pinkie E. Thrift Hall on the Southern University Baton Rouge campus.

The camp, which is co-sponsored by the LSU Ag Center, is designed to teach youth basic cooking principles and nutrition education based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines.

Adolescents and teenagers will learn how to cook in a way that tastes as good as it is nutritious.

Registration for the camp is $30 and must be accompanied with a completed registration form and mailed to: C.H.E.F., Nutrition Education Program, Southern University Ag Center, P. O. Box 10010, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Payment must be made in the form of a money order payable to the Southern University Ag Center.

The deadline to register for the camp is July 15.

Only 12 participants will be accepted for this session. Participants are required to bring a bag lunch and healthy snack each day.

To register or for additional information, contact Kiyana Kelly or Marquetta Anderson-Reynolds at 225.389.3055 or via e-mail at, kiyana_kelly@suagcenter.com or marquetta_anderson@suagcenter.com.

                               

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SU Ag Center partners with Mayor Holden’s Summer Youth Employment Program

Teens transfer soil from a pile to the side panels of the Southern University Ag Center's fountain as part of the Love Our Community Summer Youth Employment Program on June 22.

Baton Rouge, LA – Many teens are spending the official second day of summer, June 22, sleeping late or enjoying a family vacation, but a group of teens from East Baton Rouge Parish spent their morning shoveling soil to make a flower bed at the Southern University Ag Center.

The teens are participating in the Office of Mayor-President Kip Holden’s, ‘Love Our Community Summer Youth Employment Program,’ which employs some 500 youth aged 14 -17 from throughout the parish.

Southern University Ag Center Extension Associate Stephanie Elwood and Senior Research Associate Mila Berhane have partnered with the 4-week program to provide technical assistance for the group’s activities.

On this day, the group planted flowers in the side panels of the Southern University Ag Center’s fountain.

The youth employment program provides youth with an opportunity to gain environmental and neighborhood revitalization work experience by painting murals and creating community gardens throughout the city to fight blight. The teens also participant in various environmental stewardship projects.

To qualify for the program, teens must commit to working no more than 20 hours per week in an outdoor environment; be a team player and work collaboratively in a group to plan and execute a community service project that impacts their community; and be enrolled in a school and live in East Baton Rouge Parish.

For information about the Love Our Community Summer Youth Employment Program, contact Kia Bickham at 225-389-3100 or via e-mail at Kbickham@brgov.com.

For information about the Southern University Ag Center’s horticultural programs and events, contact the Ag Center at 225-771-2242 or visit our website at www.suagcenter.com.

                                               

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Urban Forestry Professor Chairs International Symposium, gives Keynote Address

Dr. Zhu Ning served as the chair and keynote speaker of the Urban Forest Sustainability International Symposium. The event was held in Shenyang, China from May 29 - June 4, 2016.

Baton Rouge, LA – Dr. Zhu H. Ning, Urban Forestry Professor and Research Scientist at Southern University served as symposium chair and keynote speaker during the Urban Forest Sustainability International Symposium themed, “Sustaining Urban Forests in a Changing Climate.” The event took place in Shenyang, China from May 29 - June 4, 2016. 

Dr. Ning’s presentation not only targeted international research advances, but also showcased the findings of her U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) funded projects at the Southern University Ag Center. The findings included the effects of elevated carbon dioxide and flooding on urban trees, an assessment of the urban forest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Scotlandville Community and ecosystem service valuation.

Dr. Kamran Abdollahi, SU Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Program Leader and Graduate Director, was also one of the symposium’s five key speakers. He provided valuable information on biochar application as urban forest soil amendment, which is also a Southern University Ag Center project. Biochar is a charcoal produced from plant matter and stored in soil as a way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The symposium attracted over 120 scientists, practitioners, and students, who represented more than 40 universities, research centers, and research institutes from the United States, China, Australia, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic. Feedback from the participants indicated that the symposium surpassed their expectations; with excellent research paper presentations. The participants expressed that the symposium provided a platform for research result dissemination, promoted scientific exchange, strengthened professional networks, and enhanced international collaborations.

The event was jointly hosted by the International Society of Arboriculture, Southern University Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Program, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chinese Academy of Forestry.

                                               

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SU Ag Center to host Youth Summer Cooking Camp in Madison Parish

C.H.E.F. Camp to provide youth with cooking principles and nutrition education

Registration Form

Baton Rouge, LA – The Southern University Ag Center, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter, will sponsor its “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” (C.H.E.F.) youth cooking camp for youth ages 9-17 who reside in Madison Parish.

                                     

The camp will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., June 27 – July 1, in the Family and Consumer Lab of Madison High School, 1234 N. Madison St. in Tallulah, LA.

Registration is $20 and must be accompanied with a completed registration form and mailed to: C.H.E.F. Camp, LSU/Southern University Ag Center Extension Office, 114 North Cedar Street, Tallulah, LA 71282. Payment must be made in the form of a money order payable to the Madison Parish 4-H Foundation.

Participants may also register in person at the LSU/Southern University Ag Center Extension Office. Space is limited.

The C.H.E.F. cooking camp is designed to teach youth basic cooking principles and nutrition education based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines.

Each day, participants will work together to create an entire meal while learning healthy eating and physical activity principles, food preparation, kitchen and food safety, common cooking terms, proper food handling, measuring techniques, critical thinking and team building skills, planning and time management.

To register or for additional information contact Sarah Sims at, 318-574-2465 via e-mail at sarah_sims@suagcenter.com, ssims@agcenter.lsu.edu or Brittney Seay at, bseay@agcenter.lsu.edu.

                                                                                  

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SU Ag Center to hold free Small Landowner Workshop on June 25

Teaching landowners how to make the most out of their acreage, even if it’s just their yard.

                

Event Flyer

Baton Rouge, LA – The Southern University Ag Center will hold a Small Landowner Workshop on Saturday, June 25 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., in A. O. Williams Hall (SU Ag Center Building), 181 B.A. Little Drive in Baton Rouge.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The workshop will feature experienced farmers and gardeners who will discuss the topics of:

·         Gardening for your home or a farmers market

·         Raising backyard chickens

·         Using cut flowers for income

·         Beekeeping (Joy of Honey) and

·         Edible landscaping

Lunch will be provided.

The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To pre-register, contact Emily King at 225-771-2242 or via e-mail at emily_king@suagcenter.com.

                               

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SU Ag Center to host Youth Summer Cooking Camp in St. James Parish

C.H.E.F. Camp to provide youth with cooking principles and nutrition education

Baton Rouge, LA – The Southern University Ag Center, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter, will sponsor its “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” (C.H.E.F.) youth cooking camp for youth ages 9-13 on July 5-8.

The camp will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the St. James Housing Authority, 8000 Mill Street, in St. James, La. Participants are required to bring a bag lunch and drink each day.

Registration for the camp is $25 and can be paid in cash or a money order made payable to Lisa Weber.

The deadline to register for the camp is June 30.

The C.H.E.F. cooking camp is designed to teach youth basic cooking principles and nutrition education based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines.

Each day, participants will work together to create an entire meal while learning healthy eating and physical activity principles, food preparation, kitchen and food safety, common cooking terms, proper food handling, measuring techniques, critical thinking and team building skills, planning and time management.

To register or for additional information, contact Lisa at 225.562.2326.

                               

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Dr. Truth encourages youth to seek knowledge and have self-respect during annual Family & Youth Expo

Dana "Dr. Truth" Andrus speaking the youth during the SU Ag Center's 2016 Family and Youth Expo on June 17.

Baton Rouge, LA – “That’s nothing wrong with doing the right thing,” said Dana Andrus during his keynote address to 300 youth in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Southern University Smith-Brown Memorial Union.

Andrus, who is known as ‘Dr. Truth,’ was one of several presenters that addressed the youth during the Southern University Ag Center’s annual Family and Youth Expo on June 17.

                                                                  

Dr. Truth went on to encourage the girls in the audience to grow up be to intelligent, respectfully young ladies. “There’s nothing wrong with keeping your virginity,” encouraged Truth.

He also encouraged the boys to grow up to be men who protect and provide for their families.

Truth is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a member of the National Speakers Association and the International Speaker’s Network. He has served in the United States Marine Crops, Army and Air Force. He has earned an Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Doctor of Divinity.

Other workshop and seminar topics included: Teens, Sex and the Law, presented by Stacie LaBlanc with the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center; Body Bag of Illnesses presented by the SU Ag Center’s Communities of Color Network; Young Lives Matter presented by James Jefferson III with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and How I Started My Own Business presented by Hayley Thompson, the teenaged baker and business owner from Ascension Parish.

The two-day educational event themed, “Encouraging Youth to Always Seek Knowledge,” will conclude on June 18 with a quiz bowl and awards program.

Dr. Wanda Burke serves as Youth Development Specialist and Expo event chair.

Click the following link to view highlights of the SU Ag Center's 2016 Family and Youth Expo, https://goo.gl/kjYHML. 

                               

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The Summer Youth Program at the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives is in full swing

Baton Rouge, LA – Students enrolled in the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives’ Summer Youth Program are learning while having fun.

During the week of June 6-10, the students learned from guest speakers, participated in the camp's workshops, gardened, and exercised.

Highlights of the program’s activities can be viewed by click the following link,

http://prezi.com/e249gm09h24o/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

For additional information about the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives or its Summer Youth Program, call 337.943.2410.        

               

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SU Ag Center to host Youth Summer Cooking Camps in East and West Carroll Parishes

C.H.E.F. Camp to provide youth with cooking principles and nutrition education

                

Baton Rouge, LA – The Southern University Ag Center, in collaboration with the LSU AgCenter, will sponsor its “Creating Healthy Enjoyable Foods” (C.H.E.F.) youth cooking camp for youth aged 9-18 in East and West Carroll Parishes.
                                   
The camps will be held in Lake Providence, La. (East Carroll) from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., June 21-24, at the SU/LSU Extension Office, 502 1^st Street; and in Oak Grove, La. (West Carroll) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., July 6-9, at the Thomas Jason Lingo Community Center, 10284 Hwy. 17 South.

Registration for both camps is $10 or parents can contact Mrs. Robinson about donating a food item for the camp.

Only 10 youth will be accepted in both camps on a first come, first served basis.

The C.H.E.F. cooking camp is designed to teach youth basic cooking principles and nutrition education based on the USDA’s, “MyPlate” food guidance system and Dietary Guidelines.

Each day, participants will work together to create an entire meal while learning healthy eating and physical activity principles, food preparation, kitchen and food safety, common cooking terms, proper food handling, measuring techniques, critical thinking and team building skills, planning and time management.

To register, for additional information or for a list of needed food items contact, Carolyn Robinson at 318.559.0060 in East Carroll Parish or at 318.428.3571 in West Carroll Parish.

                               

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SU's B.A.Y.O.U. Program introduces students to Agriculture

Dr. Harold Mellieon, Jr., SU Ag Center's Livestock Show Director and Assistant/Associate Specialist for Animal Science, speaks to students enrolled in the BAYOU Program on June 10, 2016 at the SU Ag Center.

Southern University Agricultural Sciences alumni video chat with students participating in the BAYOU Program. The initiative is designed to introduce high  school seniors and incoming college freshman to the careers available in the fields of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business or the natural sciences.

Baton Rouge, LA – Students participating in the Beginning Agricultural Youth Opportunities Unlimited (B.A.Y.O.U.) Program learned about the career opportunities available in the field of agriculture during the program’s Ag Science Day.

The event, which was facilitated by Dr. C. Reuben Walker, Department Chair of Ag Sciences at Southern University, was held on Friday, June 10 in the Southern University Ag Center.

Agricultural Sciences faculty members introduced themselves to the program’s 29 students and discussed their area of expertise.

The students also participated in a video conference with SU Ag Sciences alumni from around the world and toured the Ag Center’s swine and poultry farms, meat processing laboratory, experiment station and greenhouses.

The day ended with a cook-out for the students.

The BAYOU program provides an opportunity for high school seniors and incoming college freshman to gain first-hand knowledge about career opportunities in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business or the natural sciences.

To qualify, students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and have completed 11^th grade. The students’ live  in the dormitories on the Southern University Baton Rouge campus and are permitted to go home on the weekends.

The program is sponsored by the University’s Agricultural Family and Consumer Sciences Programs in the College of Sciences and Agriculture. It began on June 5 and will end on June 24.

                                                             

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Kentwood Summer Enrichment Program is off to a Great Start

Baton Rouge, LA – For the first time, the Southern University Ag Center has partnered with community leaders in Kentwood to provide summer enrichment for youth ages 6-18. There are 40 campers from grades 1^st through 12^th participating – many in multiple courses or programs over the four weeks the program runs in June.

The program, which will be held June 1 – 30, is comprised of six major components:

• ·         “STEM” – All campers will be engaged through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through the use of innovative approaches.
• ·         “iRadio Camp” – Ages 6-12 will learn the basic fundamentals of radio through live talk breaks, live interviews from celebrities, community leaders, music selection, advertisement, local and national news, weather, traffic and more.
• ·         “Y.A. Know Awareness (Hang-Out Session)” – Ages 13 -18 will attend fun “Hang-out Sessions” that will mentor, and provide information that promotes leadership, a sense of belonging, self-esteem building, and long term commitment to make healthy lifestyle choices.
• ·         “Photography” – Ages 10 -18 will learn general knowledge through the use of exposure and focus techniques, editing photos, landscape photography, and  typography.  Campers will also develop skills in problem-solving, project planning, and creativity.
• ·         “AAU Sports” – Ages 6-18 will work on agility, speed, and skills.  This program will promote confidence, leadership, and good sportsmanship while on the basketball court or football field.
• ·         “Dance” - Ages 6 -18 will begin each class with a thorough warm up taught to fast, bass pumping music. Dancers learn to isolate their bodies with control, precision, and rhythm. The campers will have the opportunity to choreograph their own moves and are encouraged to freestyle and just groove to the music!

Campers will also be engaged through a weekly public speaking series from various STEM professions.  Alyssa Carson, NASA Youth Astronaut in training, kicked off the first week. Carson talked about her love for science, and the rigorous training that she is currently undergoing for her trip into space in three years.

Registration for the Kentwood Summer Enrichment program ended June 2, however recruiting for the Kentwood After-School program will begin in mid-July. 

For more information on the Kentwood After-School & Summer Enrichment Programs, contact Assistant Area Agent Nicolette Gordon in the Tangipahoa Parish Extension Office at 985.748.9381, or in the St. Helena Parish Extension Office 225.222.4136.

                                                             

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St. Landry Parish Parents and Youth attend Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives Open-House and Orientation

Nearly 100 youth registered to attend Summer Youth Academic Enrichment Program

Opelousas Police Chief Donald "DT" Thompson speaks to the youth  on June 2 during the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives orientation for its Summer Youth Program.

The youth participated in a team building exercise during the orientation to become acquainted with one another.

Southern University Ag Center interim Chancellor Dr. Adell Brown, Jr. speaks to the parents of youth enrolled in the SCRI's Summer Youth Program on June 1 during the Center's Open-House.

Baton Rouge, LA – The Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives (SCRI), a satellite campus of the Southern University Ag Center, kicked off its annual Summer Youth Program by hosting a parent open-house on June 1 and an all-day student orientation on June 2.

This year’s program, themed “Welcome to the Fantastic Voyage,” has an enrollment of 95 youth ages 6-18 who reside in St. Landry Parish.

During the orientation, students had the pleasure of hearing a presentation from Opelousas Police Chief Donald “DT” Thompson on the dangers of drugs, alcohol, guns, and realistic toy guns; as well as, the benefits of being involved in a summer program.

The students also learned about the various workshops that will be offered through the program such as: Arts and Crafts, Technology, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Math Enrichment, Healthy Living, Recreation, Creative Writing, Reading, Citizenship, Youth Gardening, and Leadership. They also participated in several team building activities to become acquainted with one another.

The program, which will operate from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, from June 6 – July 8, boasts aides/volunteers from all disciplines including: a summer program coordinator with over 30 years of youth programming experience, certified AP Biology, English Language Arts/ Reading Specialist and a Science teacher. There will also be a certified personal trainer to facilitate youth fitness.

This year’s program aims to not only provide recreation, but also academic enrichment to prepare the youth of St. Landry Parish for the upcoming school year.

For additional information about the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives or its Summer Youth Program, call 337.943.2410.

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