Kansas efnep works to provide nutrition education for low-income youth and families with young children, in areas across the state where need is most pronounced

Kansas efnep is in the following counties across kansas: crawford, finney, ford, grant, gray, hamilton, haskell, kearney, labette, montgomery, sedgwick, seward, shawnee, wilson, and wyandotte. Kansas efnep works to establish and maintain relationships with local, regional, and state agencies and groups and/or service providers working with the efnep audience. These efforts result in collaborative projects, proposals, and invitations to be at the table as needs are identified and tackled. Kansas efnep has developed relationships with different organizations that include the kansas department of education, the special supplemental program for women, infants and children, department of children and families, food policy councils, local and state breastfeeding coalitions, live-well coalitions, food pantries and communities that have received the blue cross blue shield pathways grants. As efnep works to increase and capture our impact in the community we see increased value in forming and nurturing relationships. The kansas efnep and snap-ED programs are coordinated through ksre by the same person, which has helped to improve program focus and enhance our reach rather than overlap. Local extension unit agents who oversee efnep also oversee snap-ED efforts which helps with efficiencies, better positioning programming in community sites serving the efnep and snap-ED audiences without overlap or duplication. The kansas efnep program's audience is low-income parents and other adult caregivers (such as grandparents and guardians) who have primary responsibility for obtaining and preparing food for their children. Kansas also has a small youth program, and we target grades 3-12, but have prioritized youth in 6TH grade and above. We serve a high proportion of hispanic families with efnep, and we target this growing audience through strategic programming with spanish-speaking educators in areas of high population and need, the southwest area, sedgwick county and wyandotte county. Kansas efnep has 4 program priorities to focus on over the next 5 years. 1. Adult improvement in drinking less sugar sweetened beverages. 2. Adult improvement in being more physically active. 3. Youth improvement in drinking less sugar sweetened beverages. 4. Increased use of technology by gathering participant data via the webneers direct data entry APP. Through its targeted interventions, efnep helps to build a healthier kansas by leveraging the resilience and potential within its communities. The program's success is evident in the positive health outcomes and behavioral changes among participants, supporting the state's overall public health goals and enhancing the quality of life for kansas residents. To have continued success in the positive health outcomes and behavioral changes among our participants, kansas efnep is committed to having a well-trained and competent workforce. Kansas's training plan for paraprofessional and professional personnel includes but not limited to the following topics, civil rights, teaching and technology, webneers, personal safety, sugar, and physical activity.