Exercise Science student teaches cooking classes to improve health

People with diabetes are learning more about grocery shopping, physical activity, food safety, budgeting, and more, thanks to a Pitt State Exercise Science major who wants to make a difference.

Kylee Perry, who has been working as a SNAP-Ed nutrition assistant for the K-State Research and Extension Wildcat District in Southeast Kansas while attending school, began teaching classes this fall with partnering sites in the community.

Photo by Stephanie Potter / CHC-SEK

The classes, part of the "Food is Medicine Program" operated by Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas at Wesley House, focus on one main concept: making the healthy choice the easy choice, Perry said.

Food pantries like Wesley House often serve populations with high rates of nutritionally related chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. These classes can improve their health outcomes.

"I am passionate for this role in the community as Southeast Kansas struggles with food insecurity," said Perry, whose academic emphasis is Clinical/Pre-Professional.

Funding for the project was provided in part by the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, a Topeka-based philanthropic organization focused on improving the health of Kansans.

She's incorporating into the classes that she teaches what she learned as a student in her nutrition, exercise physiology, and health classes at Pitt State. At the same time, she's discovered how essential nutrition is as a health factor.

Photo by Stephanie Potter / CHC-SEK

The classes she teaches are paired with a policy, environmental, or system change to be implemented at the class site.

"For example, Wesley House is implementing a system change -- they are allowing participants to receive unlimited produce from the pantry for the duration of my class and their enrollment period in the 'Food is Medicine' program," she said.

"They are also implementing an environmental change by providing additional ingredients for our food demonstration in the class that can then be distributed to all pantry guests."

Yet another environmental change, Perry said, is having a dietician curate boxes with supplemental recipes and ingredients participants can use at home.

Photo by Stephanie Potter / CHC-SEK

"Personally, a major goal I have with all of the participants is to help them gain experience and knowledge with kitchen skills, simple recipes, MyPlate, and physical activity so they are comfortable doing these things at home," she said.

Perry is on track to graduate in May 2025 and recently applied to Physical Therapy School.

"Teaching this class at Wesley House has been awesome because we are getting to directly work with our intended target audience and another agency in our community that is passionate about empowering these individuals," she said.

Learn more about Pitt State's Exercise Science program, which includes a Clinical/Pre-Professional emphasis and a Human Performance/Strength Conditioning emphasis.

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