Updates

Social Marketing Update - April 26, 2010

Look for our newest campaign at the April 29th Partner Meeting

Back by popular demand, AzNN staff will distribute the community tool kits at our April partner meeting. We will introduce the Go Low campaign to you in presentations and have a display of all the new and exciting campaign elements. We’d love to hear your feedback since you are the eyes and ears of Nutrition Network. As you implement the campaign, let us know if the kids like the interactive poster and game ideas, how parents like the new design for Fun Food News and if seniors enjoyed the materials we created for them. You can call or email us with your feedback at any time or post it on the partner Discussion Board.

If you cannot attend the partner meeting, we will ship the community tool kit to you.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 26, 2010

AzNN-supported Community Outreach

The Arizona Nutrition Network encourages all its partners to organize community outreach events. AzNN is available to support your community outreach efforts in a variety of ways:

• AzNN provides mascots and inflatables that you can reserve for your event.
• AzNN has a sample Media Alert and Press Release that you can tailor to your event. These can be sent to your local TV stations, radio stations and newspapers to let them know about your upcoming event and to promote it to their audience. If necessary, AzNN can provide you a list of contact information for local media.
• Depending on the scale of your event, AzNN can also provide the following: publicize the event to your local media, provide you with necessary materials (e.g., for a milk taste test), and supply a radio station to broadcast from the event.

If you have an event in mind, please call us. Depending on the type and scale of your event, we’ll let you know what we can offer you to help make your event successful!
 

Social Marketing Update - April 26, 2010

AzNN Can Sign Up Partners for the Discussion Board at the April Partner Meeting

Thank you to those partners who have already registered and are using the discussion board! For those of you who haven’t registered yet, we will have a computer ready to help you at the April 29th partner meeting. It’s easy and quick. You’ll just need to activate it when you check your email and then you can become part of our online community. We share information about applications, grants, success stories – pretty much anything you want to talk about with your fellow partners.

If you’d like to sign up for the discussion board now, follow the steps on the main discussion board page.

Social Marketing Update - March 15, 2010

Direct Mail and Door Hangers: Reaching SNAP participants at home

Arizona Nutrition Network uses a variety of ways to get our nutrition and physical activity messages to our target audience of SNAP participants, such as outreach with our wonderful partners, television ads, radio ads, direct mail pieces, door hangers, grocery store advertising and community events. For the Grow a Healthy Child campaign we developed a direct mail piece that includes tips about family meals and recipes all folded up in a self-mailer. DES provided the addresses and the direct mail piece will be sent out to 120,000 people statewide soon.

We also created two versions of the door hanger which included different recipes and more facts and tips on family meals. The first door hanger is shaped like a plant in a terra cotta pot with a recipe and tips.  The second door hanger features the same plant but also with tomatoes, as if they had grown on the vine.  The door hanger will be placed in select zip codes in Phoenix-metro area, Tucson, Yuma and Nogales. Families can easily detach the recipe from the door hanger and we hope it inspires some healthy meals!
 

Social Marketing Update - March 15, 2010

Grocery store ads remind shoppers about nutrition 

A new element to our mix of social marketing is advertising in grocery stores. We have ads on grocery carts for the current Grow a Healthy Child campaign. For the upcoming campaigns, we will have ads on the low fat milk refrigerator door for the Go Low campaign and floor clings for the Fruits and Veggies – More Matters campaign in the fall. As shoppers “drive” their carts around the stores, our ads that resemble license plates remind them about nutrition with fun messages like “RUHLTHY” and “EATSMRT.” 


 

Social Marketing Update - March 15, 2010

Television Station Lists

As requested by several partners, we have compiled a list of TV stations to show you when and where you can see an AzNN television spot. Now you can check the list for which stations you watch the most and find programs that are included in our TV media buy. Phoenix-based stations reach into northern Arizona and Tucson-based stations reach into southern Arizona.

Phoenix list
Tucson list
Yuma list

Social Marketing Update - January 18, 2010

New Champions for Change Campaign Launched

At the beginning of the new year, Arizona Nutrition Network launched the healthy eating campaign Champions for Change – Grow a Healthy Child. It’s well known in the nutrition community that families that eat together most often eat healthier. We used real moms from around Arizona in our TV, radio and print material to get the message out. They are featured in a garden, in a kitchen and fishing and camping outdoors. These moms are making a difference in their families. They are Champions for Change.

Learn more about the campaign at our Champions for Change page.
 

Social Marketing Update - January 18, 2010

2010 Research Schedule

For fiscal year 2010, AzNN plans to do a similar set of research studies as FY2009. These test the effectiveness of each micro-campaign as well as continue the annual Behavior Model Research. This year AzNN will also study the usage of internet and cell phones in our target population.
 

This chart defines our research studies that are slated for 2010:
 

Social Marketing Update - January 18, 2010

Internet/Cell Phone/Social Media Usage Study

Where do you access the internet? How often are you online per day or week? Do you ever text companies to get offers or to vote on a competition? These are just a few of the questions that we are answering with the Media Usage Study. The overall objective is to measure the target’s frequency of internet, cell phone, and social media use as well as where they connect to the internet, how they use the Internet, and what would make them visit a specific Web site.  We will also explore cell phone ownership, frequency of use, and use of various features. The social media section will include discussion about attitudes toward and behavior relating to these communications tools. Finally, this study will be used to get feedback on the www.eatwellbewell.org web site.

With a research vendor, AzNN will first do focus groups to get qualitative information and follow up with 800 intercepts statewide for quantitative data. This will give us the best opportunity to understand how we can reach our target the most efficiently through the internet and cell phone.

This information will benefit all partners and we will share the results in a few months when the surveys are complete. Stay tuned!
 

Social Marketing Update - November 9, 2009

Information on Contract Timelines

Many of you have asked about the new contracts. They are planned for one year. They should show that they are three years long with two years of extension possible. If contracts were three years long it would reduce the scrambling for signatures each year. (You will still need to complete the application and budget annually). This means we are going to make amendments to this year’s contract. These will be done when initial contracts are signed and complete and you submit an amendment (some need them now due to disallowed USDA costs) or just after the first of the year. Questions? Check with your Partnership Development Specialist for more details.

Social Marketing Update - November 9, 2009

The new WIC food package is here and SNAP got a black eye!

As I am sure you have heard the new WIC food package launched on October 1st. It got a ton of press most of which was awesome. It is a new day with WIC and great things are happening for WIC moms and families! Unfortunately SNAP got caught up in the press and not so favorably. Lots of folks feel that SNAP benefits should have specific allowable and unallowable food purchasing restrictions on them. While there are strong arguments for both sides, there are no plans by the USDA to put these restrictions in place. The USDA strongly feels that Nutrition Education would be much more beneficial. Arizona Department of Health Services Leadership is working on suggestions for program improvement. These suggestions may be shared with the leadership at USDA. If that happens we will be sure to share details in the Green Room.

Social Marketing Update - November 9, 2009

State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2009

New and exciting information is available in the State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables. This report was released on September 29th by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and shows how states across the nation are doing with regards to fruit and vegetable consumption and policy and environmental support. Arizona’s numbers are very similar to the national averages.

To get more information, visit: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health_professionals/statereport.html.

Be sure to check out the adult and adolescent consumption maps at this website. They are very similar to the obesity maps put out by CDC and provide a great visual on fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the United States.

Social Marketing Update - November 9, 2009

Fruit and Veggies More Matters Evaluation Changes

The evaluation for the FVMM curriculum is changing! Last year a new evaluation was created and implemented. It did not work as we had hoped so AzNN went back to the drawing board. We tried really hard to develop a tool that measured more than knowledge (we know the curriculum helps to increase Fruit and Veggie knowledge-we have years of proof of that). We really wanted to measure increased consumption but that has proven to be terribly difficult to create. We have created a new evaluation that we feel measures self-efficacy and that can lead to increased consumption. The new tool is in its final review stages. This tool will NOT BE REQUIRED for use. Those that are interested in trying out/utilizing this new tool should contact their Partnership Development Specialist for more details.

Social Marketing Update - November 8, 2009

Save the Date!

2009 Arizona Policy Training Institute:Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity Where We Live, Learn and Work
December 16, 2009 * 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center
Shea Conference Center
9003 East Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260-6709

An invitation with registration and agenda information will be emailed to you in the coming weeks.
For additional information, please contact: Adrienne Udarbe at (602) 364-1621, udarbea@azdhs.gov or Veronica Venturini at (602) 542-2391, vventurini@az.gov

Scottsdale Healthcare in collaboration with the the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families

***NOTE: If attending this conference please remember to prorate registration fees as appropriate***

Social Marketing Update - November 8, 2009

Recipe Corner

The autumn season finds several days for celebrations such as the National Children’s Day, Columbus Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving. As the weather cools down we tend to look for the “hardier” or “stick to your ribs” recipes. Try any of these hardy recipes for a special feast!
 

Chicken-Cabbage Stir-Fry

Talking Points:
Vegetables that are at their best, or in-season, for the fall months include the cabbage family. This family of food is called the “cruciferous vegetables” which include broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard and turnips to name a few.

What makes them so special? They contain “phytonutrients.” This is one of those “health buzz words” you hear about – this means these vegetables contain compounds that fight against disease such as cancer. They also contain beta carotene, fiber and vitamin C.

When cooked these vegetables tend to have a strong flavor and smell, but very tasty! They also supply your body with calcium, iron, and folate. Give your taste buds a treat and try one of these great vegetables.
 

Pumpkin Flan

Talking Points:
Pumpkins are believed to have originated in North America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C. The name pumpkin came from the Greek word for "large melon." Native Americans used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed.

Today, pumpkins are used in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. Did you know these facts about pumpkins?

• They contain potassium and vitamin A.
• Their flowers are edible.
• 80% of those grown in the United States are available in October; and the largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds?
• Pumpkin is a food that can be used in many ways for your holiday celebrations.
   

Maple Sweet Potatoes

In keeping with the New WIC Food Package here is a recipe and information on sweet potatoes, another great holiday food.

Talking Points:
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C, carbohydrates, and fiber. They also supply lots of calcium and iron.

The sweet potato is a tender, warm-weather vegetable and some times referred to as a “tuber.” It is native to Central and South America. In the United States they are mainly grown in the southern states, particularly North Carolina and Louisiana.

Social Marketing Update - October 23, 2009

Want to be in the “KNOW?” Join the AzNN Discussion Board

As part of our continued effort to encourage and enhance communication among partners and ADHS staff, we are excited about the recent launch of the AzNN Discussion Board that is located on the eatwellbewell.org website.  This new communication tool, together with your participation will allow everyone to share fresh ideas and provide and receive feedback from other partners and ADHS staff.  

The discussion board is open to all SNAP-Ed partner staff. Hurry up and register its easy!  You may find the simple instructions on how to register and how to post right on on the discussion board page, and they are also linked here in the Green Room.

Do you have an awesome story to share? Share it with us and all partners.  Also, should you have any questions about registering or posting your ideas, thoughts and/or questions, contact your Partnership Development Specialist.

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

www.eatwellbewell.org Statistics

This quarter, May saw higher visits (4,598), pageviews (18,428), pages/visit (4.01), bounce rate (57.92%), and average time (3min 55 sec) on site than both April (2 min 59 sec) and June (3 min 08 sec). The % of new visits was the lowest in May (61.35%) April (67.44%), June (64.41%). Weekend traffic is lower than during the week.

Now that we have been looking at the numbers for a couple of months, it would be a good time to start associating some goals and actions to what we want to see happen with the website. What do we want these numbers to show? And how can we make our marketing efforts work towards this effort?

What do we want people to do most when they get to the site? Do we want to be a quick reference for recipes? Do we want kids to play games all afternoon? If we want to be a quick reference for recipes—then we don’t expect to see our Average Time Spent on the site to increase. Do we want more visitors? Do we care if they are new visitors or repeat visitors? This is what we need to review to see how we can make improvements in the future.

 

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Food Demonstration Training

Food Demonstration trainings for FY 2009 have been completed! A total of 25 participants attended. If you did not attend training this year, but you do food demonstrations as part of nutrition education, please click here to check out the revised Food Demonstration Guide. The guide provides information on how to conduct a food demonstration, nutrition information to discuss while preparing recipes, and a list of resources for recipes and additional information. A Food Demonstration Evaluation tool is also available for you to use.
 

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Statistics

The number of people receiving SNAP benefits increased by 36.8% from June 2008 to June 2009. Total coupon issuance increased by $50,534,253 (77.9%) for the same time frame. For June 2009, the total coupon issuance was $115,415,414 with an average per-person allotment of $132.97.

A total of 867,997 people received SNAP benefits in June 2009 (an increase of 222,198 people since June 2008). This is an eye-opening look at the status of our economy and how important what we do is, now more than ever!

* Statistics provided by AzNN and DES

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Nutrition Education Resources - August

Eat Smart Play Hard
There is a dedicated supply of Eat Smart Play Hard activity sheets for SNAP-Ed providers accessible through the SNAP-Ed Connection website. These materials include 12 different activity sheets that can be used to support SNAP-Ed efforts.

These materials are ordered in a similar manner to the Loving Your Family… and can be accessed at the following link: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/fns/ by clicking next to the Power Panther icon and then selecting the option “Order print copies of Eat Smart Play Hard™ materials.” There are order limits for each item as indicated on the ordering page and when the hard copy supply of any item is exhausted the icon and ordering information will be pulled from ordering website.

All materials can be downloaded as PDF’s from the official Eat Smart Play Hard Web page for educators at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardeducators/.

Nutrition Expeditions (South Dakota State University, Cooperative Extension Service, 2007)
This nutrition curriculum, intended for Family and Consumer Sciences classes for grades 7-12, is standards-based and web-enhanced. It covers a wide range of topics including: advertising, food security and hunger, fast food, vegetarianism, eating disorders, healthy weight management and MyPyramid.

Parts of the chapters on Diabetes and Eating Disorders would not be allowable as they could be considered Medical Nutrition Therapy. (Contact Sue Zevan if you have questions.) The curriculum is free to download at this site. Available in full text online.

The SNAP-Ed Connection is expanding their popular Recipe Finder database
http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/. They have asked the Arizona Nutrition Network if they could add the following recipes from our website to their database. “Your recipes match our goals of providing low cost, easy to prepare recipes with few ingredients.” These recipes were chosen:
Mozz Tozz
Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant with Tomato Sauce
Light Fried Okra
Chilled Cantaloupe Soup
Mac and Beans Medley

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

What is the Program Committee?
The Program Committee is a group of individuals from the DES, the State Network staff and Local Network Staff that get together regularly to talk about plans and strategies for Network programming. It is a chance to talk about what is working well and make future plans for AzNN.

Who can attend?
Anyone who is part of the Arizona Nutrition Network is welcome to attend the Program Committee meetings

When are the meetings?
The program meeting schedule is a bit different than most. It meets every other month on the second Tuesday at 10 am at ADHS UNLESS there is a Partner meeting that month. Then the meeting time changes and is attached to the Partner meeting. For a full list of the FY 2010 Program Committee meetings please see the September issue of the Green Room or check it out on line at: www.eatwellbewell.org.

Can I participate if I don’t come to the meeting location?
If you cannot come to the meeting you are welcome to join via telephone. The agenda is sent out about a week in advance. When you see it be sure to call or email your contact info and interest in participating so we can get you in on the conference call line.

Still have questions about the Program Committee?
Contact Dana for more information: Goodlod@azdhs.gov or 602-364-0354

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

FY2010 Network Meeting Schedule (revised 9/8/09)

• 10/6-8 Policy and Procedure training (6th Tucson, 7th Phoenix, 8th Flagstaff-sites TBD)
• 10-13 Committee meeting (ADHS 10 AM)
• 12-8 Committee meeting (ADHS 10 AM)
• 1/27/10 Committee meeting (ADHS 4 PM)
• 1/28/10 Partner meeting (TBD)
• 2/9/10 Committee meeting-Cancelled
• 2/9-11/10 Application Training (TBD)
• 4/28/10 Committee meeting (ADHS 4 PM)
• 4/29/10 Partner meeting (TBD)
• 6/8/10 Committee meeting (ADHS 10 AM)
• 8/25/10 Partner meeting (Flagstaff 1 PM Start)
• 8/25/10 Committee Meeting (Flagstaff post Partner meeting)
• 8/26/10 Partner meeting continued (Flagstaff 8:30AM-Noon)

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

FY2010 Tentative Site Visit Plan

AzNN has created a tentative site visit plan. You can find it on page 5 of the September Green Room newsletter.

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Update

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act authorizes all federal school meal and child nutrition programs. Every five years Congress reviews the programs through reauthorization. This action provides opportunities to improve and strengthen programs in order to better meet the needs of children across the nation.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 is set to expire on September 30, 2009. Some programs such as National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Special Milk Program are permanently authorized and will continue regardless of whether or not Congressional action is taken. Without Congressional action all other programs could expire on September 30, 2009. *Special note: The Food Stamp/SNAP program is part of the Farm Bill and therefore not part of this reauthorization act*

In 2008, twenty listening sessions were held to help USDA understand the needs and concerns of partners and participants of the nutrition programs in this act. Comments made by a wide variety of individuals and organizations were focused on the following topics: increased funding for nutrition programs, a focus on nutrition in effort to combat childhood obesity, the need to strengthen program management, and increasing access of programs for eligible people.

To learn more about the progress being made in this reauthorization go to: www.frac.org/Legislative/action_center.

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

School Grant Opportunity

We have received information on a funding opportunity for schools called the Love Your Veggies Grant Program. The grant program will seek to help schools execute innovative programs that will increase the access to, and consumption of, fresh fruits and vegetables in the lunchroom. The Deadline is November 6, 2009.

For more information on the 2009 Love Your Veggies Grant program, please see the website: http://www.loveyourveggies.com/school_grants.php or email Bethany Hanna at: bhanna@schoolnutrition.org. For assistance after 5 p.m. EST, call 415-449-0122 or email dmangiantini@currentlm.com.
 

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Reminder about SNAP-Ed Equipment

In reviewing our FY 2010 application the USDA has reminded State staff of the importance of keeping materials with program staff vs. at the service site. Specifically mentioned was the “glow bar”. The glow bars purchased with SNAP-Ed funds should remain with the LIA Partners and travel between service sites. They should not be purchased for or left at individual sites. This is just one great example of reasonable and necessary costs. It is neither reasonable nor necessary to have glow bars for each delivery site; they can be purchased by partners and shared among delivery sites.

Social Marketing Update - October 5, 2009

Nutrition Education Resources - September

Hooray! MyPyramid materials are back. Look for them on the website to order after October 1. These include MyPyramid, MyPyramid for Kids, and MyPyramid for Preschoolers.

“All Our Fruits and Vegetables” by Roberta L. Duyff and Patricia C. McKissack. This is a story that introduces pre-schoolers and 1st graders to where and how a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables are grown. There are lots of pictures of fruits and vegetables for teaching parts of plants and their names. It also encourages tasting different kinds of fruits and vegetables. The pictures of children and adults are very culturally diverse. Available from Produce for Better Health Foundation for $6.95

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County has updated their "Meet the Grain Group" PowerPoint. You can download a copy and view a version they put on YouTube at: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/grains.shtml. While on You Tube, check out their “13 Fun Ways to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables” and Eric Herman’s “Crazy About Vegetables”.

NOTES:
The “Color Yourself Healthy” by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has a disparaging message and cannot be used as an AZNN material.

“Treasure Hunt with the Munch Crunch Bunch” by Jan Wolterman, Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D. and J.W. Wolterman is another book with games that has several disparaging messages and cannot be used as an AZNN material.
 

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2009

Some of the Nutrition Network participants may be on the Arizona Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program or eligible for their services. Here’s an update on WIC supplemental Food Packages.
The Whole Package
WIC is excited to announce the arrival of new, improved Food Packages. These Packages feature more nutritious foods than ever, and offer more choices for growing families. By adding whole grains, a soy milk, goat milk or tofu option instead of cow's milk, and a wide range of fruits and vegetables, the new WIC Food Package simply brings more to the table!
Time For a Fresh Change
WIC foods have been the same for more than 30 years. The changes to the WIC Food Package were made to help participants buy more nutritious food for their families. USDA updated the WIC Food Package to reflect current dietary guidelines and participant preferences (such as corn tortillas) and needs (such as soy milk). The new campaign hits all of Arizona on October 1, 2009!
Changes to the Food Packages

• Fruits and vegetables: Participants can now buy fresh fruits and vegetables using the new Cash Value Vouchers (CVV) instead of food checks. Participants can buy fruits and vegetables at grocery stores or farmers markets.
• Grains: Participants can now buy 100% whole wheat bread, rolls and buns as well as brown rice and soft corn tortillas.
• Jarred infant foods: Jarred infant meats and stage 2 jarred infant fruits and vegetables are now allowed.
• New dairy choices: Tofu, soy milk and goat milk are now offered to women and children with medical needs.
• Canned fish: Canned pink salmon is now available.

To learn more about the WIC Food Packages, visit http://www.azwic.gov/foodPack.htm.

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2009

Nutrition Network will soon launch a discussion board just for partners! AzNN will conduct a training on this new tool during the early October partner meetings. The discussion board is a place where you can collaborate, share and discuss business pertaining to Nutrition Education, Social Marketing, Policy and Procedures, and other topics as they develop. It will facilitate communication between partners and AzNN and between partners themselves. We look forward to sharing this resource with you in October.

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2009

In early September, Nutrition Network launched our new Champions for Change Fruits and Veggies – More Matters campaign which promotes healthy eating and encourages creative ways for children to eat more fruits and vegetables. This campaign coincides with the efforts of the Arizona Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program to launch the new Food Packages on October 1. WIC participants will now be able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores and farmers markets.

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2009

Nutrition Network has been conducting several research studies this summer. They will be completed in late October and we’ll post them to the Research page. Check back then for the Go Low Post Test, Behavioral Quantitative Study and Milk Qualitative Study.

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2009

We’ve posted the August and September Green Room Newsletters to the Partners Update page. Read through these information-rich newsletters to keep up-to-date on nutrition news in Arizona.

Social Marketing Update - July 15, 2009

We’re pleased to announce the availability of a dedicated supply of Eat Smart Play Hard activity sheets for SNAP-Ed providers accessible through the SNAP-Ed Connection Web site!  These materials include 12 different activity sheets that can be used to support SNAP-Ed efforts within your region.

These materials are ordered in a similar manner to the Loving Your Family…materials and can be accessed at the following link: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/fns/  by clicking next to the Power Panther icon and then selecting the option for “Order print copies of Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ materials. There are order limits for each item as indicated on the ordering page and when the hard copy supply of any item is exhausted the icon and ordering information will be pulled from ordering Web site.

All materials can be downloaded as PDFs from the official Eat Smart Play Hard Web page for educators at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardeducators/.

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

The Network staff at the State level is taking the concept of “Champions for Change” very seriously. We are revisiting our staffing set up and work assignments. We have been fortunate to receive some additional staff to our team and this in turn will allow us to redirect some of our efforts to provide better service to our Partners (you).

As most of you know Cori Lorts has left the Social Marketing position. Many of you met Veronica Vaughn at our last Partner’s meeting. She has taken over part of the Social Marketing role with the Network. She has spent much of the past months working on the design and production of our next campaigns which include: Fruits and Veggies, Make Your Move and Grow a Healthy Child.

Hazel Valdez has been providing Social Marketing services with WIC for some time and she too joins our team on a part time basis.

Sue Briody has also joined our social marketing efforts. Sue has social marketing experience most recently with the Tobacco Education and Prevention Program here at the state. Sue’s role is still being shaped to best meet the needs of Network Partners. She will be looking into focus group findings and how they form our social marketing decisions. She will also take responsibility of the Network part of our warehouse and our many materials.

Stay tuned for an update on that progress!

Elaine Carr joined the Network team as of July 1. Elaine has Nutrition Education experience at the WIC level and will be a great asset to our team. She is currently handling mail outs from requests from door hangers, TV and radio spots and the website. Elaine will also work closely with the newly, officially formed Nutrition Education team.

The Nutrition Education team consists of three Network staff; Elaine as mentioned above, Sue Zevan and Dolores Sawka. Together these three ladies will complete curriculum reviews, re-craft curriculum to meet specific teaching needs, provide technical assistance visits to Partners and provide the text for the Social Marketing campaigns (including all print materials) and website content.

Laura Astbury is the newly appointed Arizona Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator. Laura will be working with organizations throughout Arizona to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. We are very lucky to have Laura on our Network team! Stay tuned for more from Laura on ways you can be more involved with increasing fruit and veggie consumption in Arizona!

These changes are being made to provide better service to our Network Partners. You have voiced your desire for more support and we are confident that these changes will enable us to better serve you.

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to respond to our Partner Satisfaction Survey. It is your honest feedback that helps us to strengthen the services that we provide to you. There was one area that screamed for attention and that was the availability of materials! We agree with you-this year has been terrible! First we were restricted by our upper management from being allowed to order items and then we finally got permission (in February) it has taken a while to get things in stock. Our lack of a tracking system or order approval has really been upsetting to many of you as well-you never really know what you will get on an order that you place-that is frustrating! We are still in the throws of building an inventory system and hopefully will have that up and running by the New Year. I know you have heard it before, but we really have the software and the staff in place to make that happen. Most of those activities are happening within the Bureau that we operate in by business staff.

There were other concerns (as well as lots of praise for things you did like) shared too but I will save that for our Partner meeting in August. Rest assured we do have a plan for going forward.
 

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

Phoenix Channel 12 News may be airing a clip they filmed of Chef Nills and his food demonstration classes at Desert Mission Food Bank.

Good news from Desert Mission is that the Farmers Market will be coming to Desert Mission’s Food Bank site in Phoenix on Tuesdays – which is Senior Days at the food bank! Desert Mission has received from St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance food vouchers for fresh produce to be given out to seniors redeemable at the Farmers Markets.

Ann Kells reported that she recently placed Arizona Nutrition Network materials along with USDA materials that she downloaded from their website out for client distribution. When she went back to restock the items, she found that the AZNN materials where all gone and hardly any of the USDA items had been touched. Ann’s compliments to our Social Marketing department – people like what we provide!
 

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

Good news! The Eat Smart, Live Strong (ESLS) Activity Kit is available for use and has been cleared for distribution!! SNAP-Ed providers can order the Activity Kit from the SNAP-Ed Connection website. A CD-Rom containing all of the Activity Kit materials will also be available to order by SNAP-Ed providers while quantities last. Other program providers are invited to download the materials from the website.

The Food Champs website is part of Fruits and Veggies More Matters and is designed to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in children. The website is geared towards children ages 2-8 and comes complete with age-appropriate games, coloring pages, recipes, and activity sheets
 

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

Cool off and celebrate our nation’s independence with these delicious treats. Try using these recipes for a food demonstration. Some nutrition information is included with each link for a quick reference.

Watermelon Pops

Watermelon is high in vitamins A and C. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes and skin healthy. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. When shopping for watermelon, choose a melon that is heavy for its size. Whole watermelon can be stored at room temperature. Pieces of watermelon will last in the refrigerator for about five days in a sealed container.

Rainbow Shake

Staying hydrated is especially important during the summer months. This recipe is a tasty way to help you get the fluids you need. Choose your favorite fruit juice for this recipe. Look for “100% juice” on the label, this type of juice has the most vitamins and minerals.
 

Social Marketing Update - July 14, 2009

If some of your schools have been or are interested in a school garden you may be interested in the following articles. Remember that LIA funds can only be used for nutrition education in association with a garden.

National Gardening Association Announces 2009 Healthy Sprouts Awards Program
The National Gardening Association encourages the growth of health-focused youth garden programs through the Healthy Sprouts Awards sponsored by Gardener's Supply Company. The awards support school and youth garden programs that teach about nutrition and the issue of hunger in the United States. To be eligible for the 2009 Healthy Sprouts Awards, a school or organization must plan to garden in 2010 with at least fifteen children between the ages of 3 and 18. The selection of winners is based on the demonstrated relationship between the garden program and nutrition and hunger issues in the United States.

In 2009, the program will present awards to twenty schools or organizations. Each recipient program will receive gardening supplies and resources, including gift certificates toward the purchase of gardening materials from Gardener's Supply. The top five programs will each receive a certificate valued at $500; fifteen more programs will each receive a $200 gift certificate.
Deadline: October 17, 2009.

National Gardening Association Announces Continuation of Youth Garden Grants Program
The National Gardening Association has announced that the Home Depot is returning as the Youth Garden Grants sponsor for 2010. NGA annually awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs across the United States. Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of three and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden

Grant winners who wish to reapply may do so, but must wait one year before applying again, and must have significantly expanded their garden programs. For the 2010 grant cycle, 100 grants are available. Five programs will each receive gift cards valued at $1,000 (a $500 gift card to the Home Depot and a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog and educational materials from NGA). Ninety-five programs will each receive a $500 gift card to the Home Depot and educational materials from NGA. Deadline: November 2, 2009.

National Gardening Association Invites Applications for 2009 Hooked on Hydroponics Education Grants
The Grow Store and ProgressiveGardening.org have joined with the National Gardening Association to offer hydroponic equipment to expand indoor gardening opportunities for elementary and middle and high school students. The program will provide thirty-six schools with equipment and learning materials for hydroponics projects that involve at least fifteen children between the ages of 6 and 18 during the 2010 school year. Applicants must verify that their facility can accommodate the equipment in the award packages available for their age group. Deadline: September 18, 2009.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 28, 2009

New logo, disclaimer and Champions for Change

There has been another change with the logo. At this point forward, please do not use the Arizona Nutrition Network logo. On all printed materials, only the USDA logo is to be used. I have attached the USDA logo. This is still an interim logo while we work on a final logo. Do not worry about re-printing old items with the old logo, but please do use just the USDA logo from now on. As soon as a final logo is completed, I will send out another marketing update with the new logo, new graphic standards and a transition plan. Please also share this logo with any staff who create materials. I have created the logo large, so you can easily scale it down to meet your needs. In Word, use the corners of the logo to change sizes. If you use the individual sides, you will end up changing the ratio of the logo, making it appear too wide or tall. If you have any questions on the new logo, please contact Dana or me.

There has also been a minor change with the first sentence of the disclaimer. The new, entire disclaimer is:

This material was federally funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through the Arizona Nutrition Network. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-352-8401. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Please copy and paste this disclaimer to avoid any typos. You can also find the up-to-date disclaimer on the website.

In other exciting news, a final overarching campaign concept has been finalized. The Champions for Change concept has been chosen to be the new “brand” of the Arizona Nutrition Network. Focus groups were completed and the Champions for Change concept was the best received by far. I have attached a summary of the concept, as well as the pages from the focus group report. For each concept, before discussion, we asked mom’s what it made them think, what it made them want to say and how it made them feel. You will see a stick figure on page 4 with arrows to her head, mouth and heart. The table on page 5 shows some of the things that were written down. The last page shows how participants rated the concept. The numbers in the “Effective” column are how they rated the spot on a scale of 1-10 before discussion. After discussion, each participant was asked to choose 1 spot that they felt would help motivate moms. The Participants Choice was the number of moms that chose this concept. In reference, all other concepts had between 5-10 total votes vs. this one having 26! Once the final focus group is finalized, I will post online.

The Champions for Change concept was started in California a year and a half ago and has been very well received. To read more about their campaigns, you can visit their website: http://www.cachampionsforchange.net/en/index.php. Soon, we will be recruiting Arizona Champion Mom’s that we can work with on future campaigns and projects. I may just be calling you for help! For every campaign, materials will be made for moms that will feature the Champions for Change concept. A second set of materials will be made just for kids that feature Bobby B. I will continue to send updates as we develop the campaign!

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

‘Eat Smart. Play Hard.’ Materials Available

Attention Regional SNAP-Ed Coordinators:  FNS has announced availability of the Eat Smart Play Hard materials for SNAP-Ed providers accessible through the SNAP-Ed Connection web site. 

These materials include numerous items that for use to support your SNAP-Ed efforts. 

Materials are ordered in a similar manner to those of the “Loving Your Family…” campaign and accessible at: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/fns/ (click next to the Power Panther icon, then select option for “Order print copies of Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ materials”). 

There are order limits for each item (indicated on ordering page).  When any hard copy supply is exhausted, icon and ordering information will be pulled from the ordering site.

Materials can be downloaded as PDF’s from the official Eat Smart Play Hard web page for educators at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardeducators/ . 

A SNAP-Ed List-Serve announcement is due soon, but please spread the word within your regions that materials are available on a first come, first serve basis. 
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

School Looking for a Partner

Teachers of Echo Mountain School in Paradise Valley have expressed interest in receiving SNAP-Ed services at their school. Currently, we have no partners servicing this district. According to the October 2008 NSLP report, there are 14 eligible schools in Paradise Valley Unified District. They are:

If you are interested in partnering with this School District, please contact your Partnership Development Specialist.

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Recording Teacher Time Using Average Salaries 

USDA released a memo allowing the use of average teacher salaries to calculate local share accumulated. Previously, States were required to use actual teacher salaries when calculating reimbursement amounts (Local and Federal). Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) now allows the use of average teacher salaries in order to reduce the reporting burden for SNAP-Ed.

The following parameters must be followed:

• Timesheets must be used to document actual hours worked for all staff working less than 100% of their time on SNAP-Ed
• Average teacher salaries must be calculated at the school or district level. They cannot be averaged Countywide or Statewide.
• The calculated average must only include the salaries of staff that actually provide SNAP-Ed activities. No other teacher or staff salaries can be incorporated into the average.
• A weighted average must be calculated to ensure it reflects all of the individual staff involved in SNAP-Ed rather than capturing only the upper and lower bounds of a range of teacher salaries:
  • Example: 100 teachers are paid $15.00/hr and 10 are paid $24.00/hr. Average weighted salary = [(100 x $15.00) + (10 x $24.00) / 110] = $15.82
• Weighted averages must be updated annually
• No other SNAP-Ed costs can be averaged; only teacher salaries.

This new policy is effective immediately. Please contact your Partnership Development Specialist with any questions.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Arizona Food Stamp (SNAP) Participation*

• The number of people receiving food stamp benefits increased by 25.7% from December 2007 to December 2008.
• Total coupon issuance increased by $22,348,982 (36.6%) for the same time frame.
• For December 2008, the total coupon issuance was $83,352,327 with an average per-person allotment of $112.19.
• A total of 742,936 people received food stamp benefits in December 2008 (an increase of 63,049 people since December 2007).

This is an eye-opening look at the status of our economy, and how important what we do is, now more than ever!

*Statistics provided by AzNN and DES
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Arizona Unemployment

As of December 2007, the unemployment rate for Arizona was 4.2% compared to 4.9% for the United States overall, increasing to 6.9% for Arizona and 7.2% for the United States by December 2008. Yuma Country had the highest rate of unemployment compared to the other counties, with 19.7% compared to 6.9% for the state.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Evaluation Toolkit Update

As part of the Evaluation Toolkit, three evaluation tools are now available on the web!

1. The Fruits and Veggies More Matters Consumption Survey was designed for use with 3rd grade students and collects data on consumption of milk, grains, vegetables, fruit, sweetened drinks as well as eating behaviors.

2. The Building Better Bones Survey was designed for use with 5th grade students and collects data on consumption of milk-group products, physical activity and knowledge of activities and behaviors related to osteoporosis prevention.

3. The Food Behavior Checklist was designed for use with adult participants and collects data on a variety of nutrition related behaviors (such as fruit and vegetable consumption). It also collects demographic data including self-reported height and weight, AzNN logo awareness, and food security.

For more information about these evaluation tools, please visit our website at http://www.eatwellbewell.org/partners/partner-resources/data-and-statistics.

Reminder: Please send copies of the evaluation tools you use to kukliss@azdhs.gov for possible inclusion in the toolkit.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Updated USDA Statements

With the name change from Food Stamp to SNAP and SNAP-Ed, USDA has given us the updated statements that need to be included on all materials given out through your program.

USDA Credit Line:
Spanish:  “Este material se desarrolló con fondos proporcionados por el Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP en inglés) del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE.UU. (USDA siglas en inglés).”
 
English:  “This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
 
Outreach Message:
Spanish:  “El Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP en inglés) ofrece asistencia relacionada con la nutrición para gente con recursos limitados. Estos beneficios le pueden ayudar a comprar comida nutritiva para una mejor dieta. Para obtener más información, comuníquese con la oficina de servicios sociales de su condado.”
 
English: “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact [enter your local office or toll-free number, or other useful information to help identify how to get services].”
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Mid-Year Contest

The best contest of the year! Will you be a winner of our Mid-year Contest? AzNN is having a contest to see which of our Contributing Partners are the most compliant by getting all of their Monthly Reports and Invoices into their Partnership Development Specialist on time. And for doing so, we will be awarding prizes to the first three partners sending in their completed reports the earliest on or before APRIL 15, 2009. (First Place Winner will have their choice of a prize). Here are the details!
 

• First Place winner: The winning Partner must have all Invoices (through March) and all Monthly reports (through March) in to AzNN by April 15. The determining factor is the DAY AND TIME RECEIVED.
• Second Place winner: To be a second place winner you must have all Invoices (through March) and all Monthly reports (through March) in to AzNN by April 15. This will be the Partner that has submitted their reports second closest to 12:01 am.
• Third Place winner: The same as above but in third place closest to 12:01 am.

PRIZES
“Food Demonstration Training Video with Cook Book”
“Creative Pockets Teaching Tools Kit”
“Set of Children’s Fruit and Veggie Books”
(for use with children ages pre-school – second grade)
“Food Demonstration Food Cooler”

The Winners of the contest will be announced on April 16, 12:00 noon by email.  Prizes will be awarded at the April Partner’s meeting. This contest may be very challenging - many of our Partners are good at submitting their reports on a timely basis. Good luck and happy reporting!

 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Off Campus Site SNAP-Ed Educators

USDA has mentioned a few things to keep in mind when adding an off-campus Local Share site into your program:

“Do the educators at this site adhere to a specific curriculum or script, and what type of training will they receive prior to providing education to their qualified participants?”

It may be a good idea to schedule a meeting with the person that will be delivering the SNAP-Ed and provide a curriculum you would like them to teach; or review what they have been teaching so that it complies with AZNN’s program. You can review this information with your Partnership Development Specialist (PDS), or you can call and talk with Sue Zevan our nutritionist (602-364-3323). 
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Equipment Tagging and Care of LIA Federally Funded Equipment Update

There have been some questions brought up regarding the tagging of LIA Federal Share funded purchased items/equipment. The following is the latest update on this topic:
 

• All items over $5000 must be tagged.
• All items considered as high-theft possibilities must be tagged regardless of size (Lap top computers, cameras, etc).
• Furniture does not need to be tagged (this includes desks, chairs, shelving, etc).
• All items that your agency purchases with LIA Federal Share funds that are not extinguishable, must be recorded and tracked on an equipment log.
• All items are the property of the ADHS and must be returned if no longer needed or used. The agency that purchases these items is responsible for their location at all times.  If an item is loaned to another department, it must be noted on your log so that if you are requested to produce the item, you will be able to do so. All items remain the property of ADHS and cannot be dissembled and used for their parts. They must be returned in one piece.
• No purchased items can be discarded or sold. When an item has outlived its use, it must be returned to ADHS.  Arrangements can be made for pickup of these items by calling Arizona State Tagging, Tom Morgan at 602-220-6154 or Jim Howard at 602-629-7353.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

National Nutrition Month®

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The theme for March 2009 is "Eat Right”.  The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

A Teacher’s Guide for National Nutrition Month can be found at http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Teachers_Guide_2009.doc. You might want to use some of the lessons or give the link to any of the teachers working with your agency.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

New on AZNN website

Two flyers on cost savings: Stretch Your Food Dollars and Small Savings Add Up are available for you to download at www.eatwellbewell.org/partners/partner-resources/education-materials under “Others”.

Reminder: If you are teaching the Fruits & Veggies - More Matters® curriculum you need to budget for the educational reinforcement items for FY 2010 in your application as we no longer have state funds from the Community Nutrition Program to pay for them..

When planning for FY 2010 materials, remember that USDA is no longer allowing any 5 a Day materials. You must use Fruits & Veggies-More Matters. Log onto www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov or www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org  or email Sue Zevan at zevans@azdhs.gov.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Nutrition Education Resources

It’s time again to be selecting your materials for your FY2010 application.  Here are some resources that might be helpful to you in that process. Please keep in mind that you can also contact Sue Zevan at zevans@azdhs.gov for assistance.

The University of Missouri Extension has a new educational tool to promote physical activity and the new 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The MyActivity Pyramid: Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults (18-64) Publication number: N388) is modeled after the USDA’s MyPyramid and is based on the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.  The 8.5- by 11-inch handout was piloted with more than 140 adults. Download a free high-resolution PDF or order printed copies of MyActivity Pyramid: Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults (N388) at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/foodnut/n00388.htm or by calling at (800) 292-0969. 

The Michigan Team Nutrition Booklist can be found at http://www.tn.fcs.msue.msu.edu/booklist.html. This booklist is quite comprehensive and integrates nutrition and physical activity education into core subjects including reading/language arts, social studies, math and science.

The Illinois NET Program has a list of recommended curriculum at http://www.kidseatwell.org/Effective%20Nutrition%20curric.doc that may help you.

Modified pyramids for seniors are available to purchase from Tufts University at A Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults and The University of Florida at www.isfasbooks.ufl.edu.  You can also download MyPyramid for Older Adults for free at http://enafs.ifas.ufl.edu.  
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

AZNN Recipe Analysis Update

During FY10, all recipes posted on eatwellbewell.org will be updated to include the most recent nutrition information listed in the Policy and Procedure manual. During FY09, folate, iron, and trans fat were added to the list of required nutrients in recipe analysis. In FY10, total sugars will be included in this list. 
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Recipe Corner

We’re looking for partners to test new recipes with their participants. This would especially work if you are doing a food demonstration or taste testing. If you are able to do this please contact Sue Zevan at zevans@azdhs.gov . The recipes will be sent to you along with a recipe scorecard for each taster to complete. We will compile the data of the scorecards and use them for the selection of recipes for the Fun Food News.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Comparison of the Number of Food Stamp Recipients and Unemployment Rate

Click here for a chart of comparing the number of Food Stamp (SNAP) recipients and the unemployment rate for Arizona, January 1999 to September 2008.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Food Demonstration Training

It’s that time of year again! Food Demonstration training will be taking place in May and June. If you are interested in attending and food demonstrations are part of your LIA program, please see the link below to access the registration form and additional information about the training. Any questions? Contact Laura Astbury at astburl@azdhs.gov or 602-364-3818.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Head Start Agency Looking for a Partner

The Nutrition Manager for Southwest Human Development Head Start is interested in bringing the LIA program to her 21 Head Start sites. Unfortunately, this organization is not eligible to become a Contributing Partner. However, all (100%) of these sites are qualified as supporting partners for our program and will fall in the “Likely Eligible” section. This particular Head Start Agency services North/Central Phoenix

If you are interested in partnering with this Head Start Agency or some of their sites, please contact your Partnership Development Specialist.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Recording SNAP Status (Non-School Sites)

When working with non-school sites (or school sites with adult populations) you must collect and record the number of participants receiving SNAP on the Unduplicated Tabs of your Monthly Reports. Remember: demographic data must be self reported for all adult participants. This information should be recorded in the SNAP Participants – Other Sites column (Column H). This column will tell us how many of your participants reported they were receiving SNAP benefits. The Other Participants column (Column I) automatically calculates. This column will tell us how many participants reported they were not receiving SNAP benefits. It calculates by taking the number of unduplicated persons and subtracting the number of people reported to be receiving SNAP benefits. Use the screen shot below for reference:

Please contact your Partnership Development Specialist if you have any questions.
 

Social Marketing Update - April 8, 2009

Funding Opportunities

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF): Local Funding Partnerships 2009-2010
Application – Deadline: July 7, 2009
Contact: Curtis Holloman at cholloman@localfundingpartnerships.org or (609) 275-4128 http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20605

Jenny Jones: Jenny’s Heroes
Deadline: ongoing
http://www.jennysheroes.com/index.shtml

Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, First Things First: Notice of Intent to Issue Multiple Requests for Grant Applications
These RFGAs are available on each Regional Partnership Council page at http://www.azftf.gov/Pages/YourLocalCouncil.aspx
Contact: grants@azftf.gov, http://www.azftf.gov/WhatWeDo/Funding/Pages/default.aspx

Social Marketing Update - November 6, 2008

The new www.eatwellbewell.org has launched! There are now three distinct sections: kids, parents and partners. They all have their own colors as well as look/feel. Content has been added to the parents section as well as the partners section. 3 new games have been added to the kids section. These games will be translated shortly and added to the Niños section.

We have also created a Spanish website, www.comesanovivemejor.org. We brainstormed 10 various phrases for eat well be well and tested them among Spanish speaking low-income mothers. Come sano vive mejor was the favorite! This website currently links to www.eatwellbewell.org but will soon have its own Spanish launch page.

We would like to make the partners section a great resource tool for you. One of the ways to do this is through materials. If you have lesson plans, activity ideas, food demonstrations or other handouts you use, please send them to me! I will post them on the website to share with everyone. Chances are if you find it helpful, others will too! By sharing ideas and materials, you will help nutrition education efforts in Arizona be even greater!

As a reminder, the password has changed for ordering materials and reserving items. If you do not know the new password, please contact your Partnership Development Specialist.

On a different note, I have accepted a position with St. Joseph’s hospital in their marketing department. I will be working with the Arizona Nutrition Network through the end of November. Dana and I are working on a transition plan of who will cover the various marketing activities after I leave. If you have a question on marketing activities after this month, please contact either Daryl or Dana. I have really enjoyed working with everyone on projects, and am proud to have been part of the Arizona Nutrition Network. Remember, you + me ≠ social marketing, so please always remember to keep your target audience in mind! :o)
 

Social Marketing Update - October 29, 2008

The Marketing Research section has been updated to include all pre-test focus groups and post-test research reports to date.

Social Marketing Update - October 1, 2008

The fruits and veggies campaign launches today, October 1st! The Community toolkit for this campaign will be shipped out this afternoon so you should receive them early next week. The fruits and veggies campaign will run October through January.

On the Fruit and Veggie campaign billboards, door hangers and TV spot you will notice something different about our logo. The Arizona Department of Health Services and the Department of Economic Security have changed directions in their promotion strategies and have decided to remove their logos from our logo block. So you will see our new logo has just the USDA logo underneath. This is an interim logo while we work on a final logo. I have attached this new logo, please use this logo on materials you create from now on. Do not worry about re-printing old items with the old logo, but please do use this logo from now on. As soon as a final logo is completed, I will send out another marketing update with the new logo, new graphic standards and a transition plan. Please also share this logo with any staff who create materials.

We are also busy working on campaign strategies for FY09. As I mentioned before at our last partners meeting, we are working on creating an overarching campaign theme in which our current campaign waves will fall. This means our new campaigns will not look totally separate from each other, but will each have a separate topic for an overarching campaign. We tested 6 overarching campaign concepts and just received the focus group report. We are busy reading through it and working on a future plan. I will continue to share more exciting updates!

Social Marketing Update - September 12, 2008

We have 3 new promotional items for order! I’ve received a lot of requests for more items that promote physical activity so we now offer hackey sacks and yo-yos. The hackey sacks come in red and blue and the yo-yos come in yellow and orange. Also, due to the popularity of the fruit and veggie activity book we now have a low fat milk activity book! As a reminder, please only order the number that corresponds with the participants you reach in your work plan. In the past, we have gone through 10,000 items in a month while our work plan does not show we reach that many people. So please only order what you need so that all partners are able to receive items.

Social Marketing Update - July 2, 2008

There are two new items for order on the website! One is the Arizona Nutrition Network Cartoon Video. It is available in either VHS or DVD. We are requesting that partners only order 1. The video lasts 2 hours and is a mix of the television spots, physical activity and nutrition cartoons for young children, and clips from the Make Your Move show that was produced in 2004. All references to 5-A-Day were removed from the tape. The television spots and cartoons are played in both English and Spanish, the Make Your Move Show is in English only. This video can be used in waiting rooms, in classrooms, at health fairs, or anywhere else where a video regarding healthy eating is needed.

The other item on the website for order is the Grow a Healthy Child flyer. We sent out flyers in the mail to low income mothers in May. We have extra that you can use now! The flyers include a recipe and a game inside for a family. It is in English and Spanish.

The new games and display board have been created! There are two sets, each set includes both Spanish and English components. The display board holds four posters. There are four posters in English: Grow a Healthy Child, Make Your Move, Go Low, and Fruits and Veggies, and the same four in Spanish. Which four you put on the display board is up to you! Since these are new, please work to take care of them so they last! Sometimes we receive games and the display board back with footprints or rips and while we can clean and repair them, it shortens the lifespan and costs our program money. Also, since we have two new game sets that means we can get rid of the old game sets. If you are interested in having an old set, please let me know.

Lastly, we are working hard on re-organizing the layout of the website. Within a few weeks, I will be sending out a survey via survey monkey for you to fill out. It will include two demo pages of the new layout for the partners section and I would appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

Social Marketing Update - June 4, 2008

The Go Low campaign has launched! You can see the television spot on air and also on the website. The campaign materials will be available to order early next week and the Community Toolkits will be sent out next week as well. The television spot began airing on Monday June 2nd and we have already had an overwhelmingly positive response via our 1-800#. We have received more calls in the past three days than any previous month’s total.

On the website in the Bobby B Well section, you will see that Bobby B has new friends! We tested his current friends, along with new friends and family members among children and mothers in the winter. Using their feedback, we changed some current friends, discontinued some, and added new ones. Bobby B also has new family members. All of the up-to-date characters can be found on the logo and guidelines page: http://www.eatwellbewell.org/partners/campaigns_logos.php. If you would like any of these characters in full size, please e-mail me and I can e-mail you the graphics or send a CD.

You will also notice the reservation forms for the display board/games, inflatables and costumes have been modified. We have added a selection box so if you are making the reservation, and the item is being shipped to you, you do not have to enter your information twice. Also, if the item is not being sent to you, you now can enter the recipient’s e-mail address and they will also receive the reservation confirmation e-mail. At the bottom of the e-mail will be return instructions for the item you reserved. This should help clear up any confusion regarding the shipping of materials.

Another new item to eatwellbewell.org is the interactive state map. The interactive state map shows where all of our partners are, who they reach, what activities they do etc. Please use this as a networking tool for potential collaboration! You can see the interactive state map on the current partners page under About Us: http://www.eatwellbewell.org/partners/about_currentpartners.php.

As a final note, we are working on changing the layout of eatwellbewell.org. While the overall look will remain the same, we are re-designing the layout of all sections so that it will be easier to use. The specific pages that are visited most often will be on the main page, and menu items will be brought into fewer groups. We hope this makes browsing our website a more enjoyable and easier experience.

Social Marketing Update - April 21, 2008

There is a new Interactive Inflatable! Now you can choose either the Bobby B Inflatable or the Milk Carton Inflatable. The Bobby B Inflatable is our current three sided inflatable, with a Velcro throw board, a bean bag throw and a colorful display. There are three key messages: Make Your Move, Go Low and Eat Fruits and Vegetables. The Bobby B Inflatable messages are in English only. The Milk Carton Inflatable promotes low fat milk in English and Spanish and includes two bean bag throws. The Interactive Inflatables are available for loan to all contributing partners and to supporting partners upon prior approval. Pictures and dimensions of the inflatable and case are on the website on the order form. Click here to view the Inflatables Reservation Form

There has been some confusion on the shipping of inflatables and display board and games. If you live within the Phoenix area, a courier will deliver and pick up the item(s) on your specified dates. If you live outside of the Phoenix area, Fed-Ex will deliver the item(s). I have attached a word document with instructions for scheduling a pick-up with Fed-Ex. This document will also be included in your shipment. Please share this information with your supporting partners who will be receiving the inflatables and games so they are aware of the process.

We are also working diligently on the creation of new display board and games. We hope to have them available within the next few months. They will replace the current display board and games. There will not be a separate one for English and Spanish, instead everything will be included in one case and you will be able to choose what you display. Photos of the new display board and games, as well as their dimensions will be on the website when they are available. I will also send a notice to let everyone know!

Social Marketing Update - February 29, 2008

The Grow a Healthy Child campaign has launched and the materials are available for order on the website! You can see the TV spot here: http://www.eatwellbewell.org/partners/campaigns_videos.php. There has been a small delay in the shipping of the Community Toolkits. We expect those to be sent within the next few weeks. You can see pictures of the materials on the order form, as well as download the PDF's in the "marketing materials" and "education materials" sections on the website. This campaign's educational reinforcement item is a growth chart. The growth chart is 6" wide and 4' long, it begins at 2 feet. It displays the Grow a Healthy Child message, and provides parents an easy and fun way to chart their child's growth.

Social Marketing Update - December 4, 2007

New items have been added to the order form. We have received input from partners that you would like more items for your food demonstrations to help increase attention. We listened! We have created a new heavy-duty vinyl tablecloth that features Chef Bobby B. We also created a matching 11x17 poster that comes in a tabletop acrylic poster holder. Underneath Chef Bobby B. on the poster, there is room for a 4x6 recipe card if you wish to post it so people can see what you are cooking. We also ordered tabletop acrylic Fun Food News holders so you can display the latest Fun Food News.

We also printed extra Go Low Taste Test Booklets and those have been added to the order form. You received one in your Community Toolkit, but if you would like to order more for your community and supporting partners, you may now order them on the website under Print Materials.

Another new item added to the order form is the Harvest of the Month set. Harvest of the Month originated in California, but was recently adapted for the Arizona Nutrition Network and features Bobby B. Well. Each set includes 10 educator newsletters and 10 parent newsletters. The educator newsletters are a 4-page newsletter on 10 different fruits or vegetables. They include activities, a recipe, information on the fruit or vegetable and other resources for educators. The back page is an activity page that can be photo-copied and distributed to children. The parent newsletters are English/Spanish front/back, and include healthy tips, a recipe, and information on the fruit or vegetable. The Harvest of the Month are especially good to use in after-school and summer food program settings. These are a great resource I am sure you will enjoy!

A couple of months ago I sent an e-mail apologizing for the delay in shipment of the Fruit and Veggie Participation Certificates. We do have those back in stock so if you would like to order some for future events on Fruits and Veggies, you may do so. If you have already ordered them, please go ahead and re-order. Once again, I apologize for the extended delay.

I just received word that we are now out of the Go Low Puzzle Cups. I apologize for any partner that just sent in a recent order, your order will probably not be filled. I have never seen an incentive item go so fast! Unfortunately, they take many months to make so I am unable to receive more within this year's Go Low campaign. However, if you would like these cups as next year's incentive item, please let me know! I would appreciate any feedback on these (or any other incentive item for that matter).

Social Marketing Update - November 15, 2007

I've noticed some partners have out-of-date logos for the Arizona Nutrition Network so I thought I would send out the latest logo to make sure everyone has it. It's large in size, so you can scale it down without it looking pixilated. Remember to save it as a large file and then just scale down to your needs. If you save it as a small file and then scale up, it can look pixilated and distorted. Another trick for our logo when changing sizes is to always use the corner of the graphic boxes to change size. Do not use the sides to change just the length or just the width. That changes the dimension ratio of the graphic and the logo can end up looking too thin and high, or too short and wide. If you use the corner of the boxes to make the logo larger or smaller you will always have the right dimension ratio – so our logo will always look the same, even when different sizes.

I have also heard concerns about different audiences for our materials. For our social marketing efforts, the target audience is low-income mothers 18-49 and children 2-11. I do realize though there are many partners who work with different age groups and populations. This is a great opportunity to adapt our materials for your specific audience. If you would ever like help with adapting our materials to the population you work with, please let me know and I would be glad to offer assistance.

Social Marketing Update - October 16, 2007

We have a new graphic standards booklet! The booklet can be found on our website, in the “Network Campaigns”, “Logos and Guidelines” section. It features up-to-date logos, graphics, disclaimers, and policies. The FY08 disclaimer is also on the Logos and Guidelines webpage, so please update your files with the new disclaimer as it is different then last years. I would suggest cutting and pasting to avoid typos.

We have a new game, Connect 3, which features fruits and vegetables. You can check it out on the website! We have two more games in the works and they should be completed shortly. Once these three games are complete, we will translate them into Spanish and add them to the newly expanded En Español section.

The Go Low community tool kits will be shipped out this week so every program lead should be receiving one early next week. If you would like more, you will be able to order them on the website.

We have had some problems with our Fruits and Vegetables Event in a Box posters and certificates. If you have ordered these, I apologize that you have not received them. We will send them to you as soon as we can. Our Go Low ones are in the warehouse though and there should be no problems with ordering those! All Go Low materials will be added to the order form later this week.

Social Marketing Update - October 9, 2007

There has been some confusion with the process of returning reserved mascot costumes so I thought I would send an e-mail out to everyone to explain how our costumes are shipped back. If you work outside of the Phoenix area, a courier company, such as FedEx, will bring the costume. The costume should have a pre-paid return shipping label inside of the case. That label is used to send the costume back. On the day to send the costume back, just call the courier company to pick up the costume. If for some reason a return shipping label was not included, please call the costume company, Fiberworks at (623) 465-0304 and they will fax or e-mail you one and you can print it out. If you work within the Phoenix area, Fiberworks will be the courier and they will pick it up automatically on the day you originally scheduled for pick-up. If there is a change to your pick-up date or for some reason they did not pick it up on the requested date, please contact them at (623) 465-0304. Their number and contact information can also be found in our costume guidelines booklet which is online at eatwellbewell.org. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Social Marketing Update - August 17, 2007

Recently you should have received a Fruit and Vegetable Event in a Box for the latest Fruit and Vegetable campaign. In the box are numerous resources and materials for you to implement the campaign in your local area. If you would like to order certificates to hand out to children (or adults!), you can order more on the website. The certificates are for the “Fruit and Veggie Event” so they can be used with any game or event. They can be found under the Print Materials section of the website. The Event in a Box posters are also available for order to help spread awareness on your local event. They include a What, When, and Where section for you to fill in. They can be found under the Posters section of the website.

If you have any questions on the latest Event in a Box, the Fruit and Vegetable campaign, or social marketing in general, please feel free to contact me.

Cori Lorts, MPH, RD
Social Marketing Manager

Social Marketing Update - May 23, 2007

We have a new promotional item! We have received a lot of requests for pencils, so we ordered some fun, metallic silver pencils that kids (and adults) will be sure to enjoy. We also have the flying fun disks and ballpoint pens back in stock so you can order those too!

We have compiled all of the 2006 campaign materials into one box and added it to the order form! This 2006 Community Tool Kit includes an Event-in-a-Box for every 2006 campaign as well as posters, media alerts, Fun Food News and recipe cards. Some items from 2006 may not be included as we have run out of stock. You can order the 2006 Community Tool Kit under Partner Resources on the order form.

Due to their popularity, the Carlos Carrot and Rosey Apple costumes are getting worn down. We're trying to keep them in good condition until we are able to make new ones. So for the time being, these two costumes will only be able to be reserved for the Phoenix area to limit the bumps and bruises they receive when shipped to longer distances.

As always, I have an “open-door” (or open e-mail/phone rather). If you have any questions on any marketing materials, campaigns, or the website, please feel free to send me an e-mail at lortsc@azdhs.gov or call at (602) 364-1443.

Cori Lorts, MPH, RD
Social Marketing Manager