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Portland, Maine

CEPH’s Pamela Bruno publishes piece on the evolution, importance of SNAP-Ed

Pam Bruno
Pamela Bruno, M.P.H., senior research associate at the Center for Excellence in Public Health

Pamela Bruno, M.P.H., senior research associate at the Center for Excellence in Public Health, is co-author of a perspective article in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 

The article, titled “Thirty Years of SNAP-Ed: The Transition of the Nation's Largest Nutrition Education Program Into a Pillar of the Public Health Infrastructure,” describes the 30-year evolution of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education (SNAP-Ed), including how the program has adapted over time in response to increasing accountability pressures as well as the changing needs of the American public. 

 The article examines the history of SNAP-Ed, its origins with the Food Stamp Program, the establishment of nutrition networks to address nutrition education for Food Stamp participants, and the program’s transition from a social services program to a public health program. 

The authors describe the history of federal legislation, program guidance, and evaluation and reporting systems that informed major shifts in the program’s structure. The practitioner-driven nature of the national program is highlighted, with particular attention to the ongoing influence of the program’s membership organization which was established in 1998 and continues to provide leadership and support to implementing agencies across the nation.

Considering the recent pandemic and the increasing importance of a reliable public health infrastructure – especially for those disproportionately affected by health disparities – the article calls attention to the critical role SNAP-Ed has played in mitigating public health crises in communities experiencing low income, emphasizing the importance of continued program support.

Maine SNAP-Ed, implemented by UNE through a contract with Maine’s Office for Family Independence, addresses nutrition security and wellness in low-resource settings across the state. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) and is granted to over 160 agencies throughout the nation. Implementing agencies include universities, nonprofits, state health and agriculture departments, and Tribal entities.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.