Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of the Virgin Islands received a $102,991 Formula Grant award effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP, CFDA 10.514). Delivered through the UVI School of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, this program provides hands-on, interactive nutrition education workshops to limited-resource youth and families throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. The initiative targets income-eligible participants including parents, caregivers, expectant mothers, and young adults from public housing communities, Head Start programs, and those referred through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programs.

The program delivers comprehensive nutrition education through two primary service tracks: Adult participants engage in a series of 6-9 lessons using EFNEP-approved curricula to develop skills in economical food selection, meal preparation, food safety, and food budget management. Youth ages 5-18 enrolled in public schools or 4-H clubs receive 6-8 hours of direct contact instruction covering basic nutrition, food preparation, food safety, and strategies to increase physical activity while reducing screen time. All instruction is facilitated by frontline educators who represent the communities served. Program effectiveness is measured through 24-hour food recalls for adults and pre- and post-tests for both adult and youth participants.