University of Kentucky National Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Coordination Center of Excellence

The Regional Nutrition Education Centers of Excellence (RNECE) University of Kentucky National Coordination Center (UKNCC) is poised to lead coordinated nationwide efforts to identify and disseminate sustainable evidence-based nutrition and physical activity programs that improve health behaviors within communities, families and individuals, particularly among low-income populations while advancing the USDA’s goal to Ensure that All of America’s Children Have Access to Safe, Nutritious, and Balanced Meals. The University of Kentucky (UK) has a long history of developing, implementing, and evaluating UDSA programs and disseminating results. In Kentucky, FNEP and SNAP-Ed programs are delivered in all 120 counties by UK’s Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, which is composed of 125 Family and Consumer Sciences agents and 110 Nutrition Education Program Assistants. The majority of the UKNCC leadership team is actively involved with USDA programs at some level. The Principal Investigator (PI) and Program Director (PD) have exemplary qualifications to lead grant efforts. The PI is the Assistant Director for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension and PI of the Kentucky SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education grant. The PD has proven success in managing multi-state efforts targeting at-risk populations, specifically the Children, Youth and Families at Risk Network. The combination of skills and competence of the selective UKNCC team brings together expertise necessary to fulfill responsibilities of the RNECE National Coordination Center. The following proposal outlines the collaborative process that will take place among the Regional Centers, the UKNCC and the USDA to strengthen the evidence-base surrounding effective transferrable signature programs that improve health behaviors.