Overview

The Children’s Nutrition Education Program provides limited-resource youth with education in nutrition and food preparation skill development. Special emphasis is placed on increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables and calcium-rich foods amongst children. This hands-on program includes an interdisciplinary educational curriculum that encompasses language arts, heritage storytelling, horticulture and ecology. Through nutrition education, it promotes literacy, creativity, health and social skills.

The program’s lesson plans are taught by Rutgers undergraduate and graduate student interns to educate children in grades K-4 in the local New Brunswick public schools. In addition to gaining community education experience while participating in the program, interns are given the chance to explore other areas of community nutrition that are offered in the SNAP-Ed Program, such as curriculum development, social marketing experience and research opportunities. In this way the lessons taught not only benefit those children who are taught (who are from schools where > 50% of the students receive free or reduced priced lunches), but also further the expertise of future educators, enhancing their ability to better serve this target audience.

Demographic Data

This program was initiated in New Brunswick, NJ. According to the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, 27% of New Brunswick’s population is below the poverty line. As of April 2003, more than 80% of the children qualified for free or reduced school lunches. As such, New Brunswick is a community in great need of activities that will simultaneously develop skills and opportunities for putting these concepts into practice. In addition, the Children’s Nutrition Education Program is being expanded to encompass other cities across New Jersey that are characterized with a high proportion of limited-resource populations.

Non Duplication of EFNEP Services

EFNEP does not work in grades K-4 in the New Brunswick public schools

Behavioral Objectives

The primary objectives to be addressed in this portion of the New Jersey Sate Plan for Nutrition Education are to develop and deliver behaviorally-focused, outcome-based nutrition education to SNAP participants and students eligible for free or reduced school lunches, through participation in the program listed above and associated educational programs. This will be accomplished by both “training the educator,” as well as through direct intervention.

As a result of this project, SNAP participants and students eligible for free or reduced lunch, will improve their dietary habits, food purchase and food preparation practices, and their eating behaviors, through participation in behaviorally-focused, outcome-based nutrition.

Objective

To conduct nutrition, food preparation and food production lessons for limited-resource children through school-based nutrition education lessons.

Activities

• Hire undergraduate/graduate students (15 or more)
• Training workshop for undergraduate/graduate students
• Contact participating schools and teachers

Documentation of Outcomes

• Summary of completed teacher and intern evaluations
• ERS Youth Summary Report

Contact

Kelly Ryan
Program Coordinator
Department of Nutritional Sciences
26 Nichol Ave. Davison Hall
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-2882
(732) 932-3779
(732) 932-6522 Fax
kelryan@eden.rutgers.edu