With a Heart of Illinois Community Foundation grant, University of Illinois Extension provided a variety of family-focused nutrition education activities to eight Decatur Public School locations between fall 2024 and fall 2025.
Participating schools included Baum Elementary School, Eisenhower High School, Hope Academy, Johns Hill Magnet School, MacArthur High School, Montessori Academy for Peace, Parsons Elementary School, and Stephen Decatur Middle School. Activities occurred during school festivals, open houses, family nights, parent-teacher conferences, and a basketball game.
Students and their families explored topics around matching foods to MyPlate food groups, identifying age-appropriate cooking activities, building healthy breakfasts, using seasonal foods, practicing “food math” skills of measuring and weighing, and understanding food costs.
“Feeding a family is no small task, and there is no one-size fits all approach for nutritious meals,” says Nutrition and Wellness Educator Caitlin Mellendorf. “The more families learn, the more confidently they can build meals that add in nutrition within their personal tastes, budget, and skills.”
Visit extension.illinois.edu/food for easy recipes and helpful information about meal planning, shopping, and cooking.
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