FAMU professor receives grant to evaluate nutrition assistance program
Special to the Outlook
Florida A&M University associate professor Jenelle N. Robinson has received a grant for $371,948 to collaborate with the Florida Department of Health in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The state’s department of health was awarded funding to become a SNAP-Ed program implementing agent in the state and requested Robinson to be its collaborating partner.
“We are tasked with the evaluation of nutrition education programming, policies and associated activities for SNAP-Ed activities completed by DOH,” said Robinson, who has been an instructor at FAMU since 2015 for the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences.
Robinson’s participation in the project includes developing evaluation reports, conducting training sessions, and providing subject-matter expertise in nutrition and gardening. She also provides technical assistance to FDOH’s county coordinators.
FAMU’s evaluation reports will be shared with FDOH to improve programming and plan for future nutrition education initiatives. Robinson said her future research may include evaluating the long-term health and behavioral effects of nutrition education programming among SNAP-Ed participants.
As described on its website, SNAP-Ed, a service provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, offers nutrition guidance to teach families how to create budget-conscious, healthy meals.
