Story in Brief
Rockdale County Cooperative Extension pivoted its successful rainbow-themed nutrition program to reach new audiences via social media during the 2020 pandemic. The Rockdale Eats a Rainbow (RER) program was modified for a virtual format with seven color-themed weeks of live 45-minute educational sessions including 15 total recipe videos. Prior to the class, participants received weekly grocery and equipment lists. They participated in online classes involving a mix of live instruction and pre-recorded recipe videos. Videos highlighted food safety information, cooking tips, and appropriate tasks for children. Families could ask real-time questions and were invited to share their photos if they made the recipe at home. Highlight reels shared all the community photos from the previous week. Nearly 8,000 seniors, guardians, and children from three counties, two states, and two countries benefited from this reimaged health initiative. The evergreen nature of recorded content and polished videos has opened doors as well. The Rockdale County Senior Center emails RER videos to over 225 home-bound seniors each month to engage them while the center is not open for in-person nutrition education. Wrote one client, “The seniors are enjoying your Rainbow videos! They love the music, handwashing, your cutting skills are amazing, and the nutritional value is there as well. Thanks for bringing that connection of your presence of eating healthy into their homes!”
