Stencil program designed to help children practice educational skills

Published 11:06 am Saturday, November 16, 2024

By Emily Burleigh

Colorful and educational stencils were installed at Dogwood Park and Vernon Middle School to encourage physical activity among youth thanks to local partnerships with SNAP-Ed at the LSU AgCenter.

The stencils are designed to help children practice foundational educational skills like counting, patterning, and letter and number recognition.

The SNAP-Ed program aims to promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition education to low-income people and families. The LSU AgCenter regularly partners with schools in Louisiana to provide nutrition and physical activity education to students, said Justin Ramsey, nutrition and community health agent, LSU AgCenter SNAP-Ed.

The ultimate goal is to help communities “make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

“We want to address barriers to food access and physical activity,” she told The American Press. “By promoting physical activity and healthy living, we aim to encourage students to make lifelong changes. Understanding the importance of living a healthy life from a young age can lead to better health outcomes and a more active lifestyle in the future.”

The Pilot Club of Leesville reached out to the center about the stencil program after a previously successful partner project Dogwood Park. In September, they painted an “Alphabet Snake” and “Hopscotch Sunflower” in the park. These designs encourage the children to be active while they are nurturing cognitive development.

After hearing about the stencils at the park, Vernon Parish Middle reached out to get their own painted. In October, a sensory path that “combines various stencils to enhance motor skills, coordination and sensory development” was painted.

Ramsey spoke at the November Vernon Parish School Board meeting to encourage other schools to get stencils installed at their campuses.