A team of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development educators earned the University of Illinois Extension Excellence in Innovation Award including Christian County's own Sara Marten.  Culture, Cuisine, and Conversation is a hands-on self-paced virtual learning program that explores the cooking and cuisine traditions of six countries.  Extension educators work with international partners to create videos of kitchen and grocery stores. 

Jamie Boas, Alcha Corban, Sara Marten, Myla Munro, and Mynda Tracy are all part of the team that developed the program.  They were honored during the 2022 Illinois Extension Annual Conference held in November in Urbana.  Marten serves Christian, Jersey, Macoupin, and Montgomery Counties as the 4-H youth development educator. 

Marten praises the program saying that there is a need to build youth's capacity to embrace diverse audiences and learning about cultures around the world allows youth to break down barriers.  Travel restrictions and high costs make international travel hard. This program allows them to connect virtually. 

Every two weeks, participants worked through interactive lessons to make recipes at their own pace. They also explored food products unique to other countries. The awards were handed out during the group's Annual Conference in November in Urbana.