The OrganWise Guys Program (OWG) can be delivered via both direct and indirect education including PSE change interventions designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and increase physical activity among participants as well as facilitate PSE changes in the settings in which it is conducted. SNAP-Ed staff or trained classroom teachers provide direct education through various curriculum to youth in childcare and school settings and provide support materials for families. The WISERCISE! program provides 10-minutes of desk-side daily physical activity in the classroom. Foods of the Month helps create a healthy cafeteria environment in schools and during family style eating/snacking in EC Centers via daily nutrition messaging and outreach to parents. The OWG gardening curriculum helps establish gardens while children learn to grow and consume homegrown food. This curriculum focuses on PSE changes by working with school wellness councils to develop policies that address foods served at school events, establish school gardens, and improve and promote school meals/snacks. Partnerships and parent/adult engagement in positive health behaviors can lead to PSE change that is sustainable and beneficial community wide. Indirect education includes a wide variety of behavior tracking tools for use at home to reinforce key messages. All the above items can be delivered in the traditional way using physical items or via the online platform across all target audiences.
Additionally, The OWG online component allows for projects to collect usage data from all users on the platform. Data collection reports will be available to SNAP-Ed partners which tracks/reports on total time of each session with details on books read, activity sheets/newsletters downloaded, videos watched and physical activity (via new WISERCISE! level). This usage report can assist with your PEARS reporting.
Intervention Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Reducing Screen Time, Food Insecurity/Food Assistance
SNAP-Ed Strategies: Direct Education, PSE Change
OWG targets preschool through 5th-grade youth, their families/caregivers, teachers, and other stakeholders at a variety of settings. Successful projects establish partnerships with schools and community agencies serving participants ≤ 185% of the poverty level. This includes after school and summer food program sites, such as parks and recreation centers, churches, libraries, community centers, social service agencies, family care homes, food banks/pantries, and homeless shelters; anywhere children and their families engage. Jackson MS Public Schools continue OWG into Year 16 (~16,750 students/39 schools each year). Expansion includes 17 SNAP-Ed states, Kellogg Foundation projects in 6 states, and over 25 states in summer programming.
Setting: Gardens (Schols/Community), Pre-K & Childcare, Community-wide, Faith-based centers, Food pantries, Healthcare, Tribal Reservations, Schools, USDA program sites
Age/Population Group: Preschool, Elementary School, Parents/Caregivers, Adults, Unhoused
Race: All
Ethnicity: All
OWG includes nutrition education and physical activity lessons for students (in both physical and online format), parent engagement through newsletters, activities , and PSE change by working with school wellness councils to develop policies that address foods served at school events, establish school gardens, and improve and promote school meals/snacks. These intervention components provide the knowledge and capacity for students to improve nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Schools identify needs based on the results of the School Health Index. OWG projects are tailored to these needs and the audience/budget of the implementing agency. OWG programs include the OWG grade-specific (PreK-5th) lessons/characters, OWG gardening curriculum, WISERCISE! desk-side physical activity lessons, and Food of the Month cafeteria promotion. OWG can support existing programming and may be utilized in whole or part depending on intervention setting objectives. Projects using the online platform can receive detailed usage reports to assist with their PEARS reporting. Online training for implementers is available at no cost.
Materials are available to order online or by phone (800-786-1730). Orders are shipped directly from the OWG warehouse. Materials can be ordered separately or in kits. Materials include:
- Educator Tools: lesson plans, implementation guides, training videos and evaluation
- The OrganWise Guys digital platform: grade-appropriate story books (with optional read-along narration), corresponding activity sheets, coloring pages, drawing lessons, educational videos, games, recipes and more
- Signature Programs: Food of the Month kit, WISERCISE!, etc. Both of these programs are available in physical form and on the digital platform.
For a comprehensive list of materials, see the online catalog. OWG curriculum resources correlate to state-specific educational standards as well as national STEM and Head Start standards. To find materials that match each state's specific standards, use the OWG Curriculum Standards Tool. Evaluation instruments are available for program use at no cost. SNAP-Ed enjoys discounts nationally on some materials such as a 50% discount on activity books.
Materials are available on a digital platform implemented in 2019. To review and demo see https://digital.organwiseguys.com/
OWG practices continuous quality improvement to its curricula, means of delivery, and integration by surveying parents, teachers, and stakeholders. In response to the need for year-round programming, after school/summer camp programming and implementation items were developed. Items for use in the homeless shelter setting were developed at the request of the W.K Kellogg Foundation and the National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH) which include nutrition, physical activity, and social/emotional components.
A 2010 American Dietetic Association publication found OWG participants had statistically significant greater improvements in BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference, and academic scores, among low-income Hispanic and White children in particular, compared to controls.
A master list of publications can be found on the OWG website.
Evidence Base: Research-tested
Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.
| Readiness and Capacity - Short Term (ST) | Changes - Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance - Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
| Individual | ST1, ST3 | MT1, MT3 | ||
| Environmental Settings | MT5, MT6 | LT7 | ||
| Sectors of Influence |
Evaluation materials are available for download at no cost. Materials are found on the OWG tools webpage and include:
- Pre- and Post-tests for Kindergarten-5th grade
- Garden kit evaluation
- Post program educator survey
Food Service and Healthy School Climate Survey Tools (PSE) (contact OWG for editable word documents).
Website: The OWG website includes information on The OrganWise Guys' programs, resources, grants, research, partners, educator tools, and their online store.
Contact Person:
Dr. Michelle Lombardo
President, The OrganWise Guys Inc.
Phone: (770) 495-0374
Email: michelle@organwiseguys.com
*Updated as of August 7, 2023