04/18/08 Teaching about beef nutrition

As the school year draws to a close Wyoming dairy producer Scott George doesn't want kids to stop learning during the summer months. As chairman of the beef checkoff youth education subcommittee his group has worked with government and school administrators to create science based programs to teach children about beef. GEORGE "We have a kit called Fuel for Flight and it was science base and it also provided nutrition messages. We interviewed astronauts and they talked about the nutrition they needed. We also have one called Celebrate America and it helped children learn geography and social studies and as a part of that teaching they also would cook ethnic foods from the various groups around the world using obviously beef." And there's a new checkoff funded toolkit, Enriching Family Mealtimes' should help students, teachers and parents. GEORGE "They have their lessons in here that the teachers can give to the children, there are things that the parent teacher associations can give to the parents and children can take home and it teaches the parents on how to do better family mealtimes." George says today's children are tomorrow's consumers. He says these kids help their parents make consumer decisions today but George says the biggest benefit is getting children to understand the nutritional benefits of beef as part of a balance diet is long term, its about developing long time customers. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott