SNAP-ED Available for Adults and Children

Published: 2022
By Jeanette Allday

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) offered classes teaching the importance of good nutrition, physical activity, food resource management, and food safety. Classes were free of charge and available to SNAP-eligible adults, high school students and elementary students in first, third, and fifth grades. This year 104 SNAP-Ed classes were conducted, reaching 151 adults and children. Classes were taught in partnership with a variety of local organizations as well as in four school districts. Adults from counties not served locally by SNAP-Ed could attend a virtual 9-week class series to learn about healthy meal planning through a self-paced lesson and weekly check-in webinar with the Sanders County SNAP-Ed instructor. In addition to holding classes, SNAP-Ed worked within the community to develop changes that make the healthy choice easy for community members. To this end, SNAP-Ed partnered with a community Farm-to-School committee, exploring ways to incorporate locally-grown produce and beef into school cafeteria menus. One local elementary school began pioneering the movement and testing farm-to-school projects such as setting up school greenhouses, community gardens and microgreen growing stations in the school lunchroom. Sanders County SNAP-Ed hopes to support and expand projects like these.