New Mexico State University Extension family and consumer science programs received national recognition during the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences annual conference held in Hershey, Penn., in October.

New Mexico State University’s Laura Bittner, Extension family and consumer science agent in Valencia County, was recognized at the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences annual conference for two innovative programs she has established in her community. NEAFCS 2018-2019 president Karen Muden, left, presented the awards.
Submitted photo

Laura Bittner received second place awards for two programs she conducts in Valencia County.

The Nutrition on Weekends Snack Program received the community partnership award, which recognizes NEAFCS members for outstanding community partnership efforts in meeting the needs of families through collaboration with group, agencies and consumers.

This program provides a snack pack to the 150-plus students at Los Lunas Schools’ Century High School each Thursday afternoon to help offset food insecurity in their homes. The project is a collaboration of community groups, local churches, and individuals.

Food Camp for Kids received the innovative youth development programming award, which recognizes a program that reaches a new audience or expands a current audience, a subject matter area, a new delivery methods or another creative approach.

Each summer youth, ages 9-14, learn where their food comes from in a six-day camp that combines field trips to agricultural operations in the county with cooking, nutrition, and food safety education.

Using computer tablets, the youth create a PowerPoint presentation about the week that they present to an audience of 40-50 family members and industry professionals the last day. Bittner and Newt McCarty, Valencia County Extension agricultural agent, conduct the camp.

The programs received first-place honors at the state and Western Region prior to being submitted for the national award.

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Jane Moorman