By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LUTCHER – Following a simple experiment to determine amounts of vitamin C in various orange drinks, Gramercy Elementary fourth-grader Tyrese Davis was surprised with the final result.

“We learned that orange juice from a bottle in a store can sometimes have more vitamin C than freshly squeezed juice from an orange,” Davis said. “The longer it is exposed to the air, the less concentration it has.”

The vitamin C experiment was part of a series of activities in which Lutcher and St. James High School ProStart students bestowed nutritional knowledge on fourth-graders from the elementary school. The program fulfills the classroom end of a service learning project for the high school students.

“They are actively involved in teaching something they learned to a younger generation of student,” said ProStart instructor Rachael Schexnayder. “We apply the knowledge to real life actions and experiences so that the students can get the full benefit of the lesson.”

Schexnayder explained that service learning is a form of community service that goes beyond typical service hours needed by most high school students. The program uses applied learning to make classroom studies more relevant to everyday life.

“It allows our students to establish connections to the community and address real life problems by applying classroom knowledge,” Schexnayder said. “As a culinary arts teacher, I felt the best topic would be healthy eating habits for younger kids. Our goal was to give them an understanding of the health benefits of the foods they eat everyday.”

In addition to the vitamin C experiment, Schexnayder’s students offered lessons on the food pyramid, discussed the levels of fats in an assortment of foods and also created a healthy granola snack from a variety of ingredients. Following the classroom side of the program, Schexnayder’s students take the elementary schoolers down to the Lutcher High School Fast Food Farm, where they are taught how everyday foods get from farm to store to home.

“It’s very hands-on,” Schexnayder said. “We give the kids a sense of what goes into producing the foods they eat. I often hear afterward from my students about how surprised they are with what the younger kids already know.”

Schexnayder said funding for the project comes from the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, which funds various special interest groups and organizations concerned with improving local communities. She said this year’s grant was worth about $1,900.

“We are competing against eight other parishes in the area for funding,” Schexnayder said. “This is the fourth year we have been fortunate enough to receive the assistance.”