Lake Erie College PA Program Partners with Grand Valley School to| Promote Nutrition Education

Lake Erie College’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program collaborated with Grand Valley School in Orwell, Ohio, this past February to deliver an engaging and impactful nutrition health education program to fourth-grade students. This initiative, which combines hands-on learning with real-world applications, is designed to promote healthy eating habits and empower students to make informed nutritional choices. 

Lake Erie College PA students, alumni, faculty, and staff led 66 fourth graders through a series of interactive activities and educational sessions aimed at reinforcing the importance of a well-balanced diet. As part of the program, students were given a $20 budget to shop for groceries at their local Save-A-Lot store. Their objective was to purchase ingredients for a nutritious meal that could serve a family of five while adhering to guidelines that limited added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Students who successfully met the nutritional criteria were awarded an additional $10 grocery gift card as an incentive for their thoughtful meal planning. 

The initiative was made possible through the Kathy J. Pedersen Grant to Promote Equitable Care from the NCCPA Health Foundation. The Lake Erie College PA Program received this grant for its ongoing project, Metabolic Change: Reducing Healthcare Disparities for Rural Childhood Obesity and Diabetes. The program seeks to address the barriers rural communities face in maintaining proper nutrition, including financial constraints, limited transportation, and reduced access to fresh food options. By providing children with education and experiential learning opportunities, the program aims to equip them with lifelong skills to mitigate their risk of obesity and diabetes. 

The event on February 20th marked the second implementation of the initiative, following a successful pilot program with the Grand Valley Explorers after-school program. The continued partnership between Lake Erie College and Grand Valley School underscores a shared commitment to fostering healthier communities through proactive education and outreach. 

“I am so impressed by how engaged and passionate the children were in meeting their nutritional goals,” said Sean Kramer, Program Director of the Lake Erie College PA Program. “I believe this experience will provide them with lifelong skills that will serve them well into adulthood.” 

Grand Valley fourth-grade teachers also expressed their enthusiasm for the program, highlighting the importance of integrating nutrition education into standard curricula. Discussions are already underway to explore ways to expand this initiative and offer more students the opportunity to develop healthier eating habits. 

For more information about Lake Erie College’s PA Program and its community outreach efforts, please contact: skramer@lec.edu