By Alyssa Havlovic and Emily Gratopp, Extension Educators in Lancaster County
For a quarter of a century, Nebraska Extension’s Nutrition School Enrichment Kits (SEK) program has helped Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) 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.
WHAT THE PROGRAM OFFERS
Designed specifically for grades K–5, the SEK 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 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 consistently report the kits save planning time while 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 a Nebraska 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.
___________________________________
"It has been a pleasure for the Lincoln Public Schools to partner with Nebraska County Extension to provide a solid, robust and research-informed curriculum and instruction for our K–5 students in Health Education over the years. 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!”
—Dr. Matt Avey, Lincoln Public Schools Curriculum Specialist for K–12 Health and Physical Education
___________________________________
HOW SEK BEGAN
In 2000, LPS teachers and administrators partnered with Nebraska 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 SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education). Over the next decade, a combination of federal and local grants expanded access to non-Title I schools as well — 41 schools in total in Lincoln — ensuring that all students, regardless of income level, benefited from this exceptional health education approach. Alongside grant funding, Nebraska Extension dedicated an Extension Educator position to lead the program, providing the coordination needed to strengthen, expand and sustain health education within schools.
In 2021, LPS adopted SEK as part of its core health curriculum, officially integrating the program into every K–5 classroom districtwide.
IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS
SEK helps 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 (Silva et al., 2024; González-Jiménez et al., 2025). The SEK program does exactly that.
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 SEK’s impact: students consistently increase their nutrition knowledge and report healthier behaviors — from more regular breakfast consumption to higher dairy intake — which aids in bone health, especially important during peak growth years — 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.
___________________________________
“This unit is a favorite every year with my first graders. They enjoy it and learn so much from it.”
“I continue to love to use the nutrition kit that is provided to teach my students about nutrition. The students enjoy all the activities that are included in the kit.”
“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.”
“These were all great. Students had fun and so did I. It was a great way to learn about eating healthy.”
—Examples of feedback from LPS teachers
___________________________________
LOOKING AHEAD
As Nebraska Extension celebrates the SEK 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, SEK’s goal remains the same: to ensure every child learns the value of healthy eating and active living. By building these skills early, the SEK program is helping raise healthier children and stronger communities, one classroom at a time.
Sources:
• H. V. Lavelle, D. F. Mackay, J. P. Pell, Systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based interventions to reduce body mass index, Journal of Public Health, Volume 34, Issue 3, August 2012, pages 360–369, https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdr116
• González-Jiménez, E., González-Reyes, R., Martínez-García, R., & López-Bueno, R. (2025). Effects of school-based nutrition and physical activity interventions on cardiometabolic health in children: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Applied Sciences, 15(15), 8564. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158564