The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service conducts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed), which provides nutrition education to limited resource adult and youth. Many of the participants receive SNAP benefits or are eligible.
University of Kentucky SNAP-Ed conducts programs in all 120 counties. Participants receive hands-on education and gain basic skills needed to raise healthy families on limited incomes. Each year, the program reaches over 700,000 individuals.
Eight counties currently conduct special school projects with the UK SNAP-Ed program. Clay, Johnson, Laurel, Lee, Ohio, Owsley, Muhlenberg, and Pike counties have reached over 7,000 limited resource students with nutrition education. Participating schools and teachers receive teacher in-service training, curriculum, teaching materials and incentives for children. County Extension agents in the participating counties manage the program and oversee the progress.
Curriculum lessons include: Professor Popcorn, Organ Wise, Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary (LEAP), and Wellness in Kentucky (WIN).
The special projects have produced results, and participating students are demonstrating both knowledge gain and behavior change.
- Only 76% of first graders could identify cheese as part of the Milk group before being taught the Professor Popcorn curriculum.
After being taught the Professor Popcorn curriculum, 86% could sucessfully identify cheese as part of the Milk group in a follow up test. - 96% of second graders were able to properly identify peppers as being a vegetable after being taught the Professor Popcorn curriculum.
- After being taught Professor Popcorn, 98% of both third and fourth graders could properly identify what it means to be physically active in a follow up test.