Select a Language

Close Window

About

Steps to Health, North Carolina State University’s SNAP-Ed Program educates and inspires North Carolinians to eat healthy and be active through targeted programs for youth and adults. Our goal is to help participants make healthy choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles.

 

By combining direct education with policy, systems, and environmental change initiatives, we contribute to transformative, lasting health outcomes for North Carolinians. We teach youth and adults across North Carolina about nutrition, food resource management, and physical activity. Our educators inspire healthy choices in a fun and interactive way so that everyone can understand how to apply what they learn in their own lifestyles.

We work with our communities to adapt the environments where we live, learn, work, shop, and play. We use evidence-based information to improve policies, systems, and environments so that the healthy choice becomes the easy choice.

We meet you where you are!

Steps to Health educators are your neighbors, serve in your community, and are employed by North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

With funding from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Social Services, Economic, and Family Services partners with the following organizations to implement programming across the state:

  • Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education
  • Down East Partnership for Children
  • Durham County Health Department
  • East Carolina University
  • Second Harvest Food Bank
  • North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro

What Parents are saying

My Steps to Health

Thank you so much for getting my child to taste different foods, he now asks for some to eat. And he talks about the fruits and vegetables he has tried at school.

My son and I plan on cooking more together and we save all the recipes he brings home. We cannot wait to try these recipes at home and spend more time together. 

My daughter has always been a picky eater and this program has helped us at home by trying new things and making it easier when she is asked to eat veggies. No Temper Tantrums!

What Teachers are saying:

With everyone having fast paced lives and little time to cook healthy, these easy healthy ideas were great for students to see it is still possible to eat healthy.

What Educators/Agents say:

The students enjoyed the program and looked forward to each lesson according to the teachers. They are eager to try their snacks each week and do their active game. Teachers enjoyed the program and they asked to come back next year. They participate with the kids.

Partner: Feast Down East

Because of Steps to Health….

The Wilmington Farmers Market at Tidal Creek officially launched SNAP and Fresh Bucks May 2019. Before this, the market averaged at 800 customers each week. With the implementation of SNAP and Fresh Bucks, the market has seen an increase in new customers every week who are utilizing their SNAP benefits. Many of these customers are traveling from different areas of Wilmington. While there have also been many customers who are traveling from different areas of North Carolina to utilize their benefits at the market. Because of this, more residents have increased access to fresh and local foods at an affordable price.

Partner: Head Start

Color Me Healthy was held at a local childcare center, the preschoolers were introduced to different colors of fruits, which also included a taste test. They also created their own fruit kabobs, which featured fruits that many had never tried before such as blueberries and raspberries. After this session, the teachers used activity time to create a fruit basket for the children to draw on their own. The children were encouraged to draw with different colors and use various materials to create their own fruit bowl. With the support of the teachers, the children are able to use art to explore different colors of fruits. As a result, positive health behaviors are encouraged and celebrated.

Partner: Town of Weldon

Steps to Health was a vital partner to assist with implementing the Healthy Places for Healthy People Action Plan to help community leaders and partners work together to create a healthy, walkable, vibrant neighborhood, and downtown in the Town of Weldon through a walk audit. Steps to Health provided a Walk Audit Leader Training for volunteers on how to guide the routes during the walk audit as well as lead the walk audit. Over 30 people including community members, elected officials, representatives from the EPA and USDA, first responders, community organizations, Halifax Community College staff, and faith community members participated in the walk audit to experience how supportive the downtown area of Weldon is for walking and biking. The participants identified issues, barriers, ideas, and opportunities, and possible solutions to increase walkability in the community. The results have been reported to the Department of Transportation, a beautification committee has been created, and grant opportunities are being explored.

Find Steps to Health in Your Community