The Florida Literacy Coalition is very proud of the projects that 2009-2012 grant programs have completed. Project-based learning is a power activity that engages and empowers students to utilize the information they learned in the classroom and apply it in a larger context.
During the 2012-2013 grant year:
World Relief in Jacksonville created instructional videos on hand washing, how to read a medicine label, and demonstrating the amount of sugar contained in one can of soda.
East and West Area Adult School trained and certified thirty students in Adult CPR.
CommonUnity hosted a class on coupon clipping for healthy foods and then went on a field trip to the grocery store to demonstrate how to eat healthy on a budget.
Literacy Volunteers of Gadsden County implemented a “Biggest Loser” activity based on the healthy eating section of Staying Healthy. It resulted in the group of 46 losing a total of 650 pounds and 1,000 waistline inches.
After a lesson on BMI and a healthy weight, the Florida State College at Jacksonville passed out pedometers and hosted a competition to see who could walk the suggested 10,000 steps/day.
Project-based learning and partnership-building ideas from the 2012-2013 grant year:
- Host a health fair, block party, or community bazaar partnering with community organizations to provide Body Mass Index education, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks, diabetes information, nutrition guidelines, etc.
- Partner with an elementary school to grow a vegetable garden.
- Have the students present on special topics in health literacy that aren’t in the curriculum to the whole class.
- Have students make favorite family recipes using healthy ingredients, and develop a recipe book. Host a food tasting; get students to develop daily/weekly healthy menus to post on YouTube.
- Invite the medical/safety community to present to the class: a doctor, a nurse, a dentist, a WIC representative, a diabetes specialist, a massage therapist, CPR affiliate, fire department, hospital. Or, organize a field trip to visit their office.
- Partner with a local gym to offer free short-term memberships to students with the possibility of scholarship assistance later on; invite a Zumba/aerobics instructor to create a fun video to distribute.
During the 2010-2011 grant year:
South Florida Community College made adorable holiday bookmarks. The bookmarks were created with a Christmas theme and had handy health information.
Students at DeSoto County Education Foundation were part of an interactive nutrition project that included, research, grocery shopping, and a cooking lesson.
Three River Regional Library System had a popular Hispanic Festival and Health Fair.
During the 2009-2010 grant year:
The Adult Learning Center of Osceola had an extremely successful health fair with many county agencies and organizations sharing information. ESOL students at all levels participated and took valuable resources home.
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County created a student cookbook. This cookbook is comprised of recipes from the native countries of the adult learners. As a class, students adapted recipes to include healthier ingredients. Download a pdf copy of the cookbook.
During pilot testing:
The Florida Literacy Coalition would like to thank Orlando Tech, United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, and GROWS Literacy Council for their outstanding efforts in field-testing the materials. Below are some samples of student-led projects that were produced during the pilot program. Our thanks go to the teachers and students for their great work.
Staying Healthy (.mov) - Orlando Tech, Instructor: Ms. Sonia Magarinos.
A movie written and acted out by the students. As part of the project, the teacher arranged for this movie to play on a looping basis on the school’s CCTV system. Requires Quicktime or a program that will play .mov files.
Doctor Song (.mp4) - Orlando Tech, Instructor: Mr. Anevil Joselin.
A song written and performed by the students. As part of the project, the class performed for another class at the center. Requires Quicktime or an mp4 compatible player.
Weekly Menu (.pdf) - Orlando Tech, Instructor: Ms. Myriam Oualit.
A sample weekly menu for people with diabetes researched and compiled by the students. As part of the project, students gave an oral presentation about diabetes and the menu they created to another class at their center. Requires Adobe Acrobat Viewer.
Using English at the Hospital (.pdf) - United Methodist Cooperative Ministries,
Instructor: Ms. Tracey Tyber.
A “phrase book”- like pamphlet in English and Spanish developed by the students. As part of the project, the students distributed copies of the pamphlet to family, friends, and neighbors. Requires Adobe Acrobat Viewer. |
