For a quarter century, Nebraska Extension’s Nutrition School Enrichment Kits program has helped Lincoln Public Schools students build healthy habits for life. Since its launch in 2000, the program has reached more than 184,000 students in over 10,000 classrooms, teaching youth the importance of health, nutrition and physical activity.
"It has been a pleasure for Lincoln Public Schools to partner with Nebraska Extension to provide a solid, robust and research-informed curriculum and instruction for our K-5 students in health education over the years,” said Matt Avey, LPS curriculum specialist for K-12 healthy and physical education. “The School Enrichment Nutrition Kits and the Nebraska Extension educators have been a tremendous resource for providing incredible nutrition education to over 18,000 students annually in LPS. We hope to continue this partnership and work in the years to come.”
Designed specifically for elementary-level students, the program aligns with national health standards and LPS health curriculum objectives. Each classroom kit equips teachers with five ready-to-use lessons and hands-on materials, including science experiments, interactive games, food models, activity sheets, audio files, posters, books, videos, puppets and more. Each kit is considered a “turnkey resource,” giving teachers everything they need to deliver the lessons with ease — from detailed lesson plans and engaging activity components to built-in evaluation tools — ensuring confident, effective and impactful instruction to exceed health standards. Teachers have consistently reported the kits save planning time while also giving them confidence to teach complex topics like balanced eating, food safety and the role of physical activity in health.
One LPS kindergarten teacher said, “I love teaching my students using the Nutrition School Enrichment Kits. The students are actively engaged in learning all about nutrition and physical fitness. I like that the lesson plans are easy to use and the materials are all ready. Students are excited to learn and like to share what they are learning with their families.”
Teachers also have the option to invite an Extension staff member into their classroom for a hands-on lesson on topics of healthy snacking, physical activity or handwashing — further enhancing the student learning experience.
“This unit is a favorite every year with my first-graders,” said another teacher. “They enjoy it and learn so much from it.”
The program began in 2000 when LPS teachers and administrators partnered with Extension in Lancaster County to bring more hands-on nutrition education into classrooms. Extension staff worked with registered dietitians to adapt and create age-appropriate activities using national, state and local resources. The program first served Title I schools through support from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education.
Over the next decade, a combination of federal and local grants expanded access to non-Title I schools — 41 schools in total in Lincoln — ensuring that all students, regardless of income level, benefited from this health education approach. Alongside grant funding, Extension dedicated an educator position to lead the program, providing the coordination needed to strengthen, expand and sustain health education within schools.
In 2021, LPS adopted the program as part of its core health curriculum, officially integrating the program into every K-5 classroom districtwide. School Enrichment Nutrition Kits help children live healthier lives by preventing chronic disease through the early establishment of healthy habits. Schools are one of the most powerful venues for this work. Research shows that school-based interventions combining nutrition education and physical activity improve children’s dietary choices, activity levels and long-term health outcomes. The program does exactly that.
An LPS teacher who participated in the program said, “My students love this nutrition unit, and I use the activities for the morning seat activity, for independent learning, as they come back in from lunch and at the scheduled nutrition time.”
Through structured, hands-on lessons, students learn why food matters, how to plan balanced meals and snacks, how to read food labels, the importance of physical activity and safe food-handling practices.
Annual evaluations confirm the program’s impact: Students consistently increase their nutrition knowledge and report healthier behaviors — from more regular breakfast consumption to higher dairy intake — and safer food practices.
The program’s success has allowed Nebraska Extension to grow the curriculum for statewide use and has caught the attention of other Extension programs nationwide as a model to start similar programs.
As Extension celebrates the program’s 25-year milestone, federal funding for SNAP-Ed has recently been eliminated nationally, and grant funding to support children’s health and well-being is shifting. However, the program’s goal remains the same: to ensure every child learns the value of healthy eating and active living.
By building these skills early, the program is helping raise healthier children and stronger communities, one classroom at a time.
