Abstract. FY2026. Expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP)

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of the District of Columbia $115,245 under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds employment and training of professional and paraprofessional peer educator staff to deliver direct nutrition education to low-income families and youth, including supporting technology and educational efforts. EFNEP targets two primary audiences: families with young children (parents and caregivers with feeding responsibility) and youth and children in kindergarten through twelfth grade, with young adults of limited financial resources also eligible. The program focuses on four core areas: diet quality and physical activity improvements through adoption of federal recommendations; food resource management to increase ability to obtain, prepare, and store food meeting nutritional needs; household food safety and sanitation practices; and food security to ensure access to adequate healthy food directly or through assistance programs.

The award period runs through September 30, 2030. Place of performance is Washington, DC. As a formula grant to a 1862 land-grant institution, this award is part of EFNEP's nationwide extension delivery system operating through land-grant universities in all fifty states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.

The purpose of this funding is to increase the impact of nutrition education disseminated to low-income families and youth in the 50 states, the U.S. Territories, and the district of columbia. EFNEP should constitute the employment and training of professional and paraprofessional (peer educator) staff to engage in direct nutrition education and other appropriate nutrition education efforts, such as supporting technology, with low-income families and youth. EFNEP serves two primary low-income audiences: 1) families with young children (parents and other caregivers with primary responsibility for feeding young children); and 2) youth/children (grade range - kindergarten through 12TH grade). Young adults with limited financial resources would also be appropriate for EFNEP, as they may become parents in the near future. The priorities of EFNEP are to assist low-income families and youth in acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behaviors necessary for nutritionally sound diets and to contribute to their personal development and improvement of the total family diet and nutritional well-being. Participation in EFNEP should result in improved diets and nutritional well-being of the total family. 1. Individuals and families should experience improvements in four core areas: a. Diet quality and physical activity-improved diets and nutritional and phys ical well-being through the adoption of federal food and physical activity recommendations. B. Food resource management-increased ability to buy, grow, or otherwise appropriately obtain, prepare, and store food that meets nutritional needs. C. Food safety- improved household food safety and sanitation practices. D. Food security-increased ability to get food directly-and from food assistance programs where necessary-to ensure having enough healthy food to eat. 2. Community involvement with EFNEP should result in: a. Increased referrals across programs, organizations, and community groups to address participants' needs and to strengthen universities' capacity with respect to EFNEP's four core areas. B. Increased coordination, cooperation, and collaboration between universities and communities to accomplish local and state identified priorities associated with EFNEP's four core areas.