Portland  Pyramid  Power  Program  Executive  Summary  

Amanda  Sullivan  

 

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Amanda Sullivan Executive Summary November 4, 2010

Tuesday October 26, 2010 was the first day of my OSU Extension rotation. This was an introductory day spent at the OSU Extension office learning all about the Portland Pyramid Power Program, state supported youth curricula for the program, and learner-centered teaching approaches they use.

The Portland Pyramid Power Program combines nutrition education, physical activity and food preparation to teach kids to make healthy choices. This program is offered to kindergarten through eighth grade youth in three school districts and about 29 schools in the Portland metro area. Schools qualify for this program if 50 percent of the school’s students receive free or reduced school lunch or are food stamp eligible.

The educators for the Portland Pyramid Power Program focus on learner-centered approaches to teaching. This is accomplished by using various techniques that actively engage the learners so that they build their knowledge and skill levels. Ultimately, the goal of this learning approach is to build self-confidence and to develop meaningful intensions so the learner can apply their skills to everyday life.

I had the opportunity to observe three educators at six different schools around the Portland metro area over a two-week time span. Our mission in each school was to promote healthy food, physical activity and safe food handling practices to Kindergarten through grade eight youth. Although only one key message was specified in each lesson plan, a number of other secondary messages were discussed. Key messages for the two weeks included:

Eat a nutritious breakfast everyday Eat whole grains (Make ½ your grains whole) Handle foods safely (Cool it soon! Refrigerate leftovers within two hours.) Vary your veggies

Different teaching methods were used to accommodate the age of the school kids. Teaching methods such as: story-telling, cooking demonstrations, worksheets, and group discussions were used with the K-2 graders. I’ve found at this age kids are very curious, excited, and willing to try new things. Grade 3-8 we read through recipes, prepared recipes, tasted the food we prepare and discussed the health benefits of that food. MyPyramid posters, handouts and other learning materials were used with every grade level.

October 27-29 I visited Woodlawn, Humbolt, and Cesar Chavez Portland Public Schools with the OSU Extension educators. That week we made pumpkin pancakes with our classes and talked about the importance of eating a nutritious breakfast everyday. This lesson incorporated fun fall flavors and properly achieving a healthy diet, which made it fun and exciting for the students.

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November 2-4 I visited H.B. Lee, Reynolds, and Arleta Portland Public Schools with the OSU Extension educators. This week we focused on the importance of eating whole grains. We made Chinese Spicy Noodles with our 3-8 grade classes and Fiesta Mix (dried fruit, nut, and cereal mix) with our k-2 grades.

This program not only impacts school kids’ eating and physical activity habits, but the school’s staff members also. Teachers, cafeteria staff, custodians, and principles were always stopping by asking for a food samples and the recipes. With the encouragement of the staff and the enthusiasm of the school kids, I have seen how this program is touching many lives and most importantly promoting healthy lifestyles.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at each school and learned a great deal about time management, teaching strategies, flexibility and culture competency. I look forward to shadowing other educators to learn more about the pyramid program and gain more experiences.