SNAP-Ed ends 30 years of service in Arkansas
The program built strong partnerships with schools, equipping educators and youth with the tools needed for lifelong healthy habits. Youth participants regularly reported improvements in dietary and physical activity behaviors.
By The U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
(374 words)
LITTLE ROCK — After more than 30 years of dedicated service, the SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education program in Arkansas has concluded, marking the end of an initiative that has empowered low-income residents across the state — from preschoolers to senior citizens — to make healthier choices.
Over the past decade, SNAP-Ed has reached Arkansans in every corner of the state, delivering more than 4 million educational contacts. Each program was designed to increase knowledge about nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles.
During the 2024 fiscal program year, the Cooperative Extension Service SNAP-Ed program has worked in partnership with agencies and organizations at 530 locations statewide. Together, Family and Consumer Sciences agents and nutrition education assistants facilitated 3,435 lessons that reached 36,436 individuals. A total of 230,847 educational contacts were made, extending the reach of nutrition education to families and individuals.
The program built strong partnerships with schools, equipping educators and youth with the tools needed for lifelong healthy habits. Youth participants regularly reported improvements in dietary and physical activity behaviors.
One parent of a SNAP-Ed school program student said “my child used to be very picky and wouldn’t even try new foods, and now he will always try something at least once.”
Educators also praised the program’s impact, with 98 percent of teachers reporting that SNAP-Ed was valuable in their school.
One teacher in a school with a SNAP-Ed program said that “every day when we go to breakfast and lunch now, my students are busy identifying which food group each item on their tray belongs to.”
“The SNAP-Ed program has made a tremendous impact on the people of Arkansas, young and old, for 30 years,” said Teresa Henson, assistant professor-nutrition for the Cooperative Extension Service, who led the program.
“It’s been such an awesome program, which has helped families, seniors, and youth learn ways to eat and live healthier lives,” she said.
The conclusion of SNAP-Ed programming in Arkansas closes a significant chapter in nutrition education outreach, but the program’s impact will remain visible in the healthier choices and improved skills of the Arkansans it served. Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agents will continue providing nutrition education and outreach in the communities they serve.
For more information about food and nutrition programs offered by the extension service.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu