SCTC construction classes use skills to benefit region

SIKESTON -- Construction students at Sikeston Career and Technology Center have tapped into their creative sides for a project that will benefit some families in Southeast Missouri.

"As it turns out, small environmental cues or changes in one's environment make an impact on food choices and ultimately, health," said Jennifer Wood, chief development officer for Southeast Missouri Food Bank. "When it comes to food, environmental cues such as signage, colors, packaging and product placement have all been identified as factors that can, in fact, influence consumer choices."

Simple changes to food distribution environments "nudge" clients to select healthier options, Wood said. Making healthy food visible, or showcasing more healthy foods, and making it easy to access and attractive increases the amount of healthy food selected, she said.

As a result, Wood asked Brent Taylor, construction teacher at SCTC, and his construction students to use excess pallets from SEMO Food Bank and repurpose them into produce displays.

The new produce displays, or "nudges," will showcase fresh fruits and vegetables at SEMO Food Bank's hunger relief partner agencies, Wood said. The produce displays, which will be used by the Food Bank's member agencies, can easily be folded and rolled away to address limited storage capacity, she said.

Wood provided Taylor with a picture of the displays but no plans. Taylor said he used the picture to bring the project to life.

"I used the pallets and trial and error to create the display carts," Taylor said.

Then his students used the model to create the remaining displays, for a total of 50, Taylor said.

For the complete story, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat.