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Youth EFNEP

About Youth EFNEP

EFNEP helps youth acquire knowledge, skill, the right attitude, and behavior to create nutritionally sound diets.

Students learn to:

  • Develop healthy eating habits
  • Choose healthy snacks
  • Increase physical activity
  • Practice safe food handling

Target Audience

The youth program aims to enroll youth who come from limited resource families in rural and urban areas.

Eligibility

Youth must be between ages 5-18 and qualify for at least one of the following: Attend a Title 1 school in which 50% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch or breakfast. Receive free or reduced price school breakfast or lunch. Come from families receiving food stamps or other federal assistance. 

How can my child or school participate?

Find a local EFNEP program by searching for your County EFNEP Office. 

Program Delivery

The youth program is delivered by EFNEP staff or volunteer teachers in schools and community based organizations. Staff and/or volunteers utilize one of several University-approved curricula. We provide our curricula at no cost when you partner with us and teach 6-8 one-hour lessons!

Youth Curricula

Cover of Happy Healthy Me 2023
Happy Healthy Me...Moving, Munching & Reading Around MyPlate for 4 to 6 Year Olds is a nutrition and literacy curriculum for 4-6 year olds that uses high quality children's literature to introduce important nutrition and physical activity concepts. The curriculum embraces hands-on and interactive activities, and the lessons focus on the five food groups, physical activity, snacks, and hand washing.

 

Cover image Eating Healthy from Farm to Fork
Eating Healthy from Farm to Fork...Promoting School Wellness (K, 1, 2) is a nutrition education curriculum that makes the connection between local food systems, garden based learning, school food service, and the establishment of healthy habits. These comprehensive materials integrate nutrition education to grade appropriate lessons that are specifically designed around the Nutrition Competencies for California Children and directly correlated to the core subjects of California Content Standards.

 

Cover My Amazing Body - English 2023
My Amazing Body (Grade 1) teaches students how to make healthy food and exercise choices by developing positive attitudes and behaviors towards food and fitness. Students will increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, expand the variety of their diets, recognize MyPlate and identify it as a guide to healthy eating, and be able to describe the importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hand washing to a healthy body.

 

Cover of Good for Me and You
Good for Me and You (Grade 2) teaches students what is good for a healthy body and lifestyle. Students will study My Plate and are introduced to the concept of nutrients and what they do for our bodies.  They learn that eating breakfast every day, drinking healthy beverages, exercising and keeping food safe to eat are all good for their body.

 

Cover of It's My Choice Curriculum
It's My Choice...Eat Right! Be Active! (Grade 3) teaches students how to make healthy choices by examining the key nutrients provided by each of the five food groups of MyPlate.  Students will increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, expand the variety of their diets, recognize MyPlate and identify it as a guide to healthy eating, understand the concept of essential nutrients, and increase their physical activity.

 

Cover of Grub Club
Grub Club (Grades 1-3) is an EFNEP-approved curriculum designed for 1st through 3rd grade students to introduce them to basic culinary skills. Students will learn how to make convenient, healthy snacks. 

 

 

 

Cover of Nutrition to Grow On
Nutrition to Grow On:  A Garden-Enhanced Curriculum for Upper Elementary School Children (Grades 4 to 6) is a garden enhanced nutrition education curriculum consisting of nine lessons.  The curriculum aims to help students gain knowledge and skills needed to make healthy food choices and a greater appreciation of land that provides food.  The student is continually stimulated in an interactive environment.  The curriculum includes classroom and garden activities that support the CDE Content Standards. Handout masters are included. This is an original CDE publication which was developed by a faculty member at the University of California, Department of Nutrition.

 

Reduced size Cover Cooking Academy
Cooking Academy (Grades 4 and up) is an EFNEP-approved curriculum designed for 4th grade and above, teaching culinary skills including proper knife handling and food safety by preparing healthy recipes.

 

 

 

 

Cover of Up4it Level 1
Up4it (Grades 4-5: Level 1 and Grades 5-6: Level 2)  This field-tested student activity book is designed for youth aged 8-12 to build healthy habits for life that will help prevent too much weight gain during childhood. Included are 16 activities, ranging from 15 to 60 minutes to complete. Activities focus on four areas:

•  WakeUP Sleep 10 hours a night to feel just right

•  EatUP Select the right food for a better mood

•  DrinkUP Choose water first for thirst

•  GetUP Move and play at least an hour a day.

 

Cover Eat Fit Workbook 2022
EatFit (Grades 6 to 8) is a goal-oriented education curriculum designed for middle school students to improve eating and fitness choices. This program uses computer technology to assist with diet assessment and guided goal setting for making healthy lifestyle choices. EatFit contains nine hands-on lessons consisting of skill building activities and social support to help students reach their goals. Topics include goal setting, label reading, fast food, breakfast, exercise, energy balance and advertising.  The EatFit package includes a magazine style workbook for every student, teacher curriculum, a website and dietary analysis, evaluation tools, slides and marketing materials.

 

Cover of Hunger Attack
Hunger Attack! (Grades 9 -12) is designed to teach teens about nutrition, food safety, and financial literacy.  Teens will learn how healthy food choices contribute to good health today and in the future, simple techniques for keeping food safe, and will learn how wise food shopping can save money when eating out or at home.