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2017/2018 WIC Special Project Grants

Arizona eWIC

State Agency: Arizona
Summary: The Arizona Department of Health Services plans to implement an online nutrition education platform, combined with electronic benefit delivery to meet the needs of its participants. Using this model, clients can receive their nutrition education and benefits from the comfort of their homes, reducing the number of in-person clinic visits. This project, built on lessons learned during a WIC Online project in 2014, will add to the evidence-base needed for WIC administrators to make informed decisions about educational options for WIC clients as technology options continue to expand.

Explorations in Delivery of Nutrition Education: Educating Partners in the Delivery of WIC Secondary Nutrition Education

State Agency: Arkansas
Summary: The Arkansas Department of Health proposes to increase attendance in WIC secondary nutrition education by providing at home nutrition education to new mothers via the Arkansas STAR Health maternal home visiting program. Arkansas STAR community health workers will receive lactation education so they can then provide prenatal and breastfeeding nutrition education to WIC participants in the Delta Region. Providing nutrition education in the home will enable WIC participants to receive appropriate one-on-one breastfeeding education in a setting where they are most receptive to learning.

Chat with WIC: Innovating WIC Services with a Chatbot

State Agency: Texas
Summary: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission seeks to optimize WIC services by implementing a WIC Chatbot, giving participants the ability to interact with WIC on-demand - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - on the Texas WIC website. The Chatbot will answer potentially-eligible applicant questions about eligibility, and will have the ability to make appointments online. The goal of the Texas WIC Chatbot is to improve the participant’s WIC experience, through an intuitive chat user interface, while increasing business efficiencies for the WIC program.

Optimizing WIC Nutrition Services in Collaboration with South Dakota State University Extension: Cooking class curriculum for WIC participants.

State Agency: South Dakota
Summary: The South Dakota Department of Health will collaborate with South Dakota State University Extension (SDSU Extension) to optimize the delivery of nutrition education for low income families enrolled in the WIC program. South Dakota WIC will work with SDSU Extension to create condensed nutrition education classes based on evidence-based practices designed to enhance cooking skills and nutrition knowledge through a participant-centered learning environment. The cooking classes will be delivered by SDSU Extension Nutrition Assistants and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Nutrition Assistants, and will be considered as an option for WIC nutrition education.

Page updated: December 22, 2022