Community Programs

Food Stamp Connections

Food Stamp Connections is a project to develop educational materials, web resources and educational delivery methods for the UConn Food Stamp Nutrition Education program. Under this program, there are four subgroups each delivering nutrition education in a unique and targeted way.

1. Husky Reads

   Husky Reads volunteers are UCONN undergraduate students who visit public pediatric clinics in Hartford to read books and play games with children waiting for appointments with their medical providers. The program is modeled on the national Reach Out and Read Program (ROAR). All games, educational materials and activities that our volunteers use in the clinics integrate literacy and nutrition education. Husky Reads provides UCONN students with experiences working with children in clinical settings, which is especially useful to students planning to apply to professional programs or graduate school in health sciences, family studies, education, and the social sciences. For additional information on the program, please contact the Husky Reads staff.
   

2. Husky Nutrition

   The Husky Nutrition Program is a comprehensive nutrition education program that centers on positive nutrition messages. Nutrition messages are delivered through several channels, including workshops, facilitated group discussions, after-school programs, waiting room interventions, web-based information and interactive displays. We provide practical, culturally appropriate, hands-on activities to encourage food stamp recipients to increase their awareness of healthy nutrition habits and the benefits of physical activity. The primary target of our program is families with young children in Hartford, CT. Husky Nutrition provides thematic interactive nutrition education for caretakers in food stamp offices, primary care clinics and WIC waiting rooms, pre-schools, after school programs and community centers.
   

3. Husky Byte

   Husky Byte is a 3 credit service learning course for upper level undergraduate students, run in collaboration with a large USDA-funded research project. The main emphasis of the course is on a community experience involving interaction with parents of preschoolers at day care sites. Husky Byte offers healthy nutrition sound bytes to parents of preschool children.
   

4. Husky Sport

   Husky Sport runs a special program for female Hartford youth out of the Kelvin Anderson Center located at 2621 Main Street in Hartford CT. The program pairs girls ages 9-13 with past and current UConn female students and student-athletes to help build confidence, self-esteem, and self-awareness through sport. After school programs are scheduled from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., two days a week. During this time, the girls help prepare their snack and are informed about the benefits of eating healthy, nutrient rich foods. Next, they participate in 30-45 minutes of physical activity and a 30-45 minute life skills lesson. Some of the lessons are presented by volunteer guests who have a particular interest or knowledge in the topics discussed; some are facilitated by the UConn student-athletes. On occasion, Husky Sport participants also have the opportunity to name the topic and lead the discussion. Topics have included: women in athletics, conflict resolution, friendship, diversity, nutrition, and women's health.
   

5. Senior Nutrition Awareness Project

   The Senior Nutrition Awareness Project (SNAP) is a regional cooperative between the University of Connecticut, Department of Nutritional Sciences, the Cooperative Extension System, and the University of Rhode Island, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences. SNAP provides nutrition education, newsletters, and information for seniors in Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.
   

6. FoodLinks

   The Foodlinks program provides education and information to people who either receive food stamps or who are eligible to receive food stamps about how to use the internet to access nutrition information. Under this program, a website, FoodLink, has been developed for food stamp recipients. This website designed to serve as an educational tool about healthy eating, food safety, how to access food in CT. This website links them to available food assistance and education programs as well as provides them with recipes, shopping tips, nutrition tips and food safety information. Additionally, under this program, educational tools like newsletters and educational flyers are created for dissemination via the FoodLink website (FoodLink) and at food stamp offices, libraries and other locations where we deliver nutrition education programming.