With Melanie Shea Austin Cantu, Ed.D.
When
Where
Nutrition Education in Rural Arizona: Impact, Reach, and the Road Ahead After Federal Defunding
Rural and tribal communities across Arizona have long relied on federally funded nutrition education to build food security, improve diet quality, and strengthen local health infrastructure. This session shares reach and outcome data from the University of Arizona's EFNEP and SNAP-Ed programs, then examines how H.R. 1's elimination of SNAP-Ed funding is reshaping access to these services in rural Arizona. Participants will leave with a clear picture of what's been achieved, what's been lost, and how Cooperative Extension is adapting, including a pivot to a Community Health Worker model, to keep reaching underserved communities.
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize the reach and measurable health outcomes of EFNEP and SNAP-Ed programming in Arizona's rural, frontier, and tribal communities during FFY2025.
- Explain the policy context and practical consequences of H.R. 1's permanent elimination of SNAP-Ed funding for nutrition security access in rural Arizona.
- Identify strategies Cooperative Extension is using, including the Community Health Worker pivot, to sustain nutrition and health outreach in rural communities after the loss of federal funding.
Dr. Shea Austin Cantu is the EFNEP State Coordinator and Director of the Community Nutrition Education Program at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, where she has led statewide nutrition education efforts since 2023, including service as Director of SNAP-Ed prior to its federal defunding. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Learning and Adult Education from the University of Memphis and brings over two decades of Extension experience across Tennessee and Arizona. Her work focuses on nutrition security, rural health equity, and building sustainable community health infrastructure, including Arizona's transition to a Community Health Worker–based outreach model.