The expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP) delivered by trained paraprofessional educators from texas a & M agrilife extension service helps families and youth acquire the knowledge,…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service $4,520,754 on October 1, 2025, under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514) to deliver research-based nutrition education and physical activity curricula to limited-resource families and youth across Texas through September 30, 2030.

Funding supports employment and training of paraprofessional educators who deliver lessons in English and Spanish; implementation of audience-specific adult curriculum and age-appropriate youth curricula for grades K–2, 3–5, and 6–12; hands-on food preparation and physical activity demonstrations; community partnerships with schools, faith-based organizations, housing authorities, shelters, community colleges, and parenting classes; continuous professional development for paraprofessionals; and program operations and evaluation. Deliverables include statewide delivery of research-based curricula, expanded outreach to older youth audiences, increased participant engagement in physical activity and food resource management behaviors, and technology-enhanced onboarding and training platforms for educators. Expected outcomes encompass measurable improvements in diet quality, food resource management, and physical activity behaviors among adults and youth, alongside strengthened program infrastructure to enhance educator retention and reach.

Performance takes place in College Station, Texas. The award is a formula grant under EFNEP, which funds only 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions and operates through extension components in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and six U.S. territories.

The expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP) delivered by trained paraprofessional educators from texas a & M agrilife extension service helps families and youth acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for nutritionally sound diets, contributing to their personal development and the improvement of the overall family diet and nutritional well-being. Federal funds will support the delivery of research based nutrition education and physical activity curricula to limited-resource families, youth, and young adults across texas. These funds will be used to employ and train paraprofessional educators who deliver lessons in english and spanish, maintain and strengthen community partnerships, and support program operations and evaluation. Activities will include implementing audience-specific adult curriculum and age appropriate youth curricula for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12; integrating relevant nutrition and physical activity education; providing hands-on food preparation and physical activity demonstrations; and offering continuous professional development for EFNEP paraprofessionals to ensure fidelity to program standards. EFNEP families are often identified through collaborations with schools, faith-based organizations, housing authorities, shelters, community colleges, parenting classes, and other community partners, ensuring programs reach those at greatest nutritional risk. Program deliverables include delivering research-based curricula statewide, expanding outreach to older youth audiences, increasing participant EN gagement in physical activity and food resource management behaviors, and streamlining onboarding and training for educators through technology-enhanced platforms. Expected outcomes include measurable improvements in the diet quality of adults and youth, food resource management, and physical activity behaviors, as well as strengthened program infrastructure to enhance educator retention and R each. The intended beneficiaries of these activities are limited-resource adults, parents, caregivers, youth, and young adults across texas who face disproportionate risks related to food insecurity, obesity, and chronic disease.