DEKALB, Ill. – Illinois Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program (SNAP-Ed) partners with agencies, schools, and community organizations to provide SNAP-eligible families and individuals with obesity prevention and chronic disease reduction programming. SNAP-Ed programming is a vital community resource.
University of Illinois Extension serving Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle counties recently welcomed a new SNAP-Ed Educator, Michael Swedberg.
Swedberg comes to Extension with years of experience in public health. He worked as a food safety trainer in the private sector, as an outpatient dietitian for Denver Health Hospital Authority, and as a WIC dietitian at the Winnebago County Health Department.
“I look forward to being able to maintain and cultivate new community partnerships across Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle counties on behalf of Extension. My hope is that we can continue to improve health outcomes,” says Swedberg. “A significant component of health begins with access to food, followed by the empowerment to make wiser choices when possible. As we know, nutrition is a key element of overall health for the individual, but this can also have positive ripple effects on the entire community. Small changes can make big differences.”
Swedberg is native to DeKalb County. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science from Kansas State University.
Swedberg is happy to channel his passion for public health in his home community. He will be based in the DeKalb County Office at 1350 W Prairie Dr., in Sycamore, and can be reached at mcswed@illinois.edu.
More information about Illinois Extension serving Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle Counties can be found online at extension.illinois.edu/bdo.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.