| Eagle Adventure Recognized for Impact on Children’s Health |
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Students in Grades 1-3 are introduced to the program in the form of a play that embraces Native American traditions of storytelling. Four in-class lessons engage children through discussions, hands-on activities, language, and food experiences as they learn about their own health and nutrition. Youth and their families are encouraged to make changes in their diet and physical activity and are empowered to live strong and healthy lives. The Eagle Adventure program is one of only four programs nationwide selected as a Wave 1 Demonstration Project by USDA Food and Nutrition Services. Nutritional Sciences Associate Professor Stephany Parker, who helps coordinate the program with the Chickasaw Nation Get Fresh! Nutrition Program, is pleased the program is receiving national attention. “More than 2,000 youth have participated in the Eagle Adventure and we are pleased to see students getting excited about choosing more fruits and vegetables and increasing their physical activity due what they have learned,” Parker said. That success has been noticed as other tribes have recognized the potential of the program and requested the program to use in their efforts to prevent type 2 diabetes.
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Eagle Adventure, a joint project with the Chickasaw Nation Get Fresh! Program and Nutritional Sciences faculty in the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University, is featured in the recent Centers for Disease Control’s Have You Heard? online series for public health agencies. The Eagle Adventure program uses a multifaceted approach to improve the health and nutrition of Native American youth and families who are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 
