Sonora, CA — The CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) program is purchasing $15,000 of new equipment for Jamestown and Tenaya Elementary Schools, four Head Start Centers, and the Oak Terrace Navigation Center. Tuolumne County Public Health Officials details the new equipment is to support long-term physical activity and provide students and families with the tools they need to stay active. Kids from pre-K through eighth grade are doing tumbling, balancing, dribbling, batting, and cycling with the new equipment.
In addition to equipment, Public Health notes teachers in Tuolumne county will receive free physical activity curriculum and participate in a one-day training on how to use it. Families at the Oak Terrace Navigation Center will soon enjoy lawn game equipment that encourages active family time.
Mr. Adrian Nickols, 7/8th grade teacher at Jamestown Elementary School, recently noted, “The PE equipment that Tuolumne County Public Health has provided our students has given them opportunities to play sports they wouldn’t necessarily had been exposed to–games like street hockey, spike ball, and futsal (an indoor soccer variant.) The variety of equipment has given the schools the chance to find sports and games that they connect with, fostering a love of physical activity that many would not have otherwise developed.”
CFHL is also prioritizing the sustainability of its garden-based programs by investing in the people who lead them. Volunteers and teachers from Tenaya and Jamestown Elementary Schools will attend Life Lab’s Responsive Outdoor Classroom Management workshop, a specialized training that helps educators create engaging and inclusive learning environments with large groups of students in the garden “classroom”. This professional development ensures that even after federal funding ends, educators will have the skills and confidence to lead high-quality garden and nutrition programs that keep students connected to their food and health.
Other offerings that are part of CFHL’s sunset activities include a 3-station radio campaign that directs the community to eatfresh.org to find a wealth of nutrition tips and healthy, budget-friendly recipes. Banners at the Standard Park Sports Complex, schools, and other locations will direct the families to the recipe website as well, and another print run of the Go-Guide will help people find urban trails, flavored water recipes, and nutrition resources.
While the formal Healthy Living program may be transitioning on April 30, 2026 due to changes in federal funding, CalFresh food benefits will remain. Public health notes. “By equipping schools with physical assets and educators with specialized expertise, a foundation that does not depend on a single funding source is being built.” They further ad, “Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of these resources and to stay active, nourished, and thriving for generations to come.”
Contact Tuolumne County Department of Social Services for more information on benefits. If you would like to become involved with promotion of local nutrition and physical activity efforts, contact the Tuolumne Thrives coalition at (209) 533-6818.
