Tabasco students who were in Pre-K in the 2023-2024 school year and are now first graders are participating in the South Texas Early Prevention Studies program, or STEPS, project.
This project is affiliated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - otherwise known as SNAP - education program.
This is to help students and their families adopt a healthy lifestyle behavior and will assist in tracking and monitoring their progress to that end. Students and their families will learn the importance of consuming healthy foods at school and at home. They will also do what they can to assist families with food insecurity to the appropriate assistance programs. Part of the program is emphasizing the importance of reducing sedentary behaviors.
The team working with Tabasco students is centered at UTRGV will collect data from the consented students including meal observations, height and weight information, fitness tests through PE class, and through a general health knowledge test given by computer administration.