PASSPORT TO HEALTH

Senior Jordan Tracy has hand in increasing children’s healthy lifestyles in Moscow

Story by Allison R. Stormo

Photos courtesy Heather Munson

As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. And for recent University of Idaho College of Education graduate Jordan Tracy, it means having a hand in increasing a healthy active lifestyle and fruit and vegetable consumption for youngsters on the Palouse.

Tracy, who graduated in December in exercise science and health, was part of a student group that helped form the City of Moscow Farmers Market Passport Program in collaboration with the city. The group presented the project at a HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) conference in April 2014. The city was then awarded a $30,000 High Five Children’s Health Collaborative twoyear grant through Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health to institute the program.

The program, which coincided with the market last season, handed out close to 450 passports to area children. In turn, they received a stamp in their book for various healthy active lifestyle activities such as biking or walking to the market or participating in a fruit and vegetable tasting, cooking class or activity class that took place at the market.

Tracy was hired by the city as an intern to coordinate the project from June through October and worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of the program.

“It was really fun to work with the little kids,” she said. “It was a positive experience. All the people in the market were so supportive.”

She is grateful for the support, as she helped build the program from ground zero. In addition to being in the student planning group as part of Assistant Clinical Professor Helen Brown’s course “Programming and Marketing for Healthy Active Lifestyles,” she developed the marketing for the Passport Program and distributed more than 1,000 fliers promoting the program, formed partnerships with community organizations, secured vendors for the tastings and demonstrations, as well as secured a grant from the Inland Northwest Broadcasting for the program.

As an incentive, youths who turned in their completed passports were entered into a drawing for prizes and were able to participate in the UI Homecoming parade in October.

“It was good to see people learning — even the parents,” Tracy said.

Tracy’s passion for a healthy, active lifestyle is evident beyond helping children. She has worked as a certified nursing assistant, a teaching assistant of human anatomy, served as an intern in a cardiac rehabilitation program and participated in travel abroad to Nicaragua where she studied diabetes education best practices.

She will continue on that path after graduation when she heads to nursing school.