Ohio EFNEP 2025 Program Summary

The Ohio State University Extension Seneca County received a Formula Grant award of $2.31M from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. This five-year grant supports nutrition education initiatives designed to increase the impact of nutrition programming disseminated to low-income families and youth across Ohio. The program delivers evidence-based nutrition education through paraprofessional educators who provide interactive, hands-on learning experiences focused on improving dietary practices, food resource management, food safety, physical activity, and food security among limited-resource populations.

The funding addresses documented health disparities in Ohio, where poverty rates and food insecurity exceed national averages, and nutrition-related chronic diseases including obesity (37.8% of adults versus 33.9% nationally), diabetes (12.6% versus 10.9% nationally), and youth obesity (34.6%) represent significant public health challenges. The grant supports direct nutrition education programming, paraprofessional training, curriculum development, and community outreach efforts targeting families with young children, pregnant women and teens, and youth from kindergarten through 12th grade who meet income eligibility criteria. Program activities will leverage Ohio State University's Land-Grant Institution status and extension network to serve Ohio's 11.88 million residents and address the nutritional needs of the state's low-income populations.