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Accomplishments
Participants
Lessons Taught
Recruitment Materials
Where is ENP?
Photos
Links
Reporting Forms
Contact Information
Kristin Hansen
Extension Nutrition Program
University of Idaho
PO
Box 443183
Moscow, Idaho
83844-3183
208-885-6872
khansen@uidaho.edu
Margaret Ritchie School of
Family & Consumer Sciences |
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Extension Nutrition Program
is Idaho's Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
The Extension Nutrition Program (ENP) is a University of
Idaho Extension education program that is designed to help
limited resource adults learn how to stretch their food dollars to provide
tasty, low-cost, healthy meals for their families. Research has found that
when families take charge of their diets and food budgets they frequently
begin taking control over other areas of their lives. ENP teaches
nutrition and consumer related skills that lead to individual change.
Therefore, ENP helps families in Idaho move toward increased
self-sufficiency. It is helpful for those who are transitioning from
welfare to work.
Purpose and Goals
For over 30 years University of Idaho Extension has
effectively conducted food and nutrition education through the Expanded
Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). The program targets
limited-income families with young children. Education needs escalated
throughout the state, but funding levels enabled only two areas in Idaho
to provide EFNEP for limited-income families. Since other communities and
populations had similar needs, additional program and funding partnerships
through the Food Stamp programs were sought. The ENP is modeled after the
EFNEP program, but serves geographic areas and clientele not reached
through EFNEP.
Why is nutrition education critical for the health and
well-being of children and their families? Under-nutrition along with
environmental factors associated with poverty can permanently retard
physical growth, brain development, and cognitive functioning. The longer
a child's nutritional, emotional, and educational needs are not met, the
greater the likelihood of cognitive impairments.
The goal of the Idaho Extension Nutrition Program is to
increase the self-sufficiency of food stamp individuals and
families through community-based, informal experiential education that
builds basic living skills and decision-making capabilities, and instills
the value of life-long learning.
Funding
Program funding is provided by the USDA Food and Nutrition
Service in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Food Stamp Program.
For every dollar requested from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service for
the operation of ENP, the state of Idaho provides matching dollars in the
form of salaries and expenses. The current budget for FY2010 is $1,764.420
($882,210 federal and $882,210 state).
Program Implementation
County extension educators along with the state
nutrition education specialist guide the program. Federal funds support
the hiring of project coordinators and part-time Nutrition Advisors.
Nutrition Advisors, who are paraprofessionals from the target populations,
are trained and supervised by extension educators. Bilingual
paraprofessionals are located at program sites with a high proportion of
participants whose native language is not English.
Training opportunities for Nutrition Advisors vary from
program to program. All of the paraprofessionals have a minimum of eight
hours orientation training and one to two hours training every other week.
Periodic staff training meetings focus on nutrition information, tips on
working with the target audience, and lesson development.
Food stamp
recipients and those who are eligible for food stamps are contacted about
ENP through food stamp offices, job service contractors, WIC, Head Start,
and other helping agencies where participants have qualifying incomes.
These classes are taught by the Nutrition Advisors and cover information
on dietary quality, food safety, food resource management, and physical
activity. Youth participants are taught in classrooms and
after-school programs at schools where more than 50% of the school
population is receiving free or reduced price school lunches.
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