Extension
It Starts With Us
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
4-H, FCS, ANR, assistant(s)
Health
Family and Consumer Science
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Food Preparation and Preservation
Healthy living encompasses many aspects including physical activity, personal safety, mental health, and addiction prevention. Russell County’s data profile shows that we exceed state and national incidence rates in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, substance abuse, and overall healthy days (Kentucky Health Facts). Implementation of savings and retirement planning can also lead to overall life satisfaction and reduce stress in the family.
- Clientele maintaining positive health habits.
- Clientele lower their risk for serious illness and disease.
- Clientele lower their physical and emotional distress.
- Lower number of reported drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.
- Reduced fatalities on family farms and in the community.
- Clientele increase personal financial savings for emergencies and future needs.
- Clientele adopt behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Clientele report improved ability to cope with daily stress and distress.
- Clients adopt a physical activity plan.
- Clients choose healthy foods.
- Clients reduce risky behaviors.
- Clients develop and implement a personal and/or family savings plan.
- Clientele learn the consequences of risky behavior.
- Clientele can identify healthy ways to handle stress.
- Clientele can identify healthy foods and/or the three components of physical activity.
- Clients gain knowledge on budgeting, saving, investing, and long-term financial planning.
Outcome: adoption of healthy lifestyle and stress coping practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement some aspect of healthy living and stress reduction
Method: self-evaluation and observation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: adoption of safety practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement knowledge gained on personal, farm, and internet safety
Method: observation, self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: gain skills in food preparation and food preservation
Indicator: 1/3 of participants learn and/or implement skills to prepare food for home consumption
Method: observation; self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: personal and family savings plans are implemented
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement a financial management plan
Method: self-evaluation
Timeline: throughout and after the program
Outcome: substance abuse decreases
Indicator: reduction in drug and alcohol usage rates
Method: analysis of KIP data
Timeline: over many years
Outcome: Youth practice safety procedures and environmental stewardship
Indicator: Accident and environmental measures
Method: Observation, verbal and written evaluations
Timeline: Yearly
Audience: Youth
Activity/Project: Youth cooking programs
Content/Curriculum: KSF recipes; 4-H Cooking curricula
Inputs: volunteer leader, curricula, meeting space and cooking materials
Date: throughout program year (evenings and daycamps)
Activity/Project: Youth nutrition education
Content/Curriculum: 4-H core curricula
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, materials, snack items
Date: September - February
Activity/Project: Resiliency and mindfulness
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health and fitness curricula; Mind Matters resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: physical activity
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health core curriculum
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: money management
Content/Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H and FCS financial management resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: as requested
Activity/Project: hygiene
Content/Curriculum: 4-H Health curricula
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: during school year
Activity/Project: Health Rocks
Content/Curriculum: Health Rocks curriculum
Inputs: participants, volunteer leaders, curriculum
Date: school year and/or summer day camp
Activity/Project: Farm Safety Day
Content/Curriculum: Various Topics
Inputs: Participants, volunteers and Progressive Ag Foundation
Date: Fall Yearly
Audience: Adult and Youth
Activity/Project: Family Fitness Program
Content/Curriculum: Couch Potato Program or Get Moving KY
Inputs: participants, curriculum, incentive items
Date: TBD
Activity/Project: Substance Abuse
Content/Curriculum: FCS specialist information
Inputs: participants, curriculum, meeting space
Date: TBD
Author: Christina A. Martin
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Nutrition education and healthy lifestyles were identified by local leadership councils to be an educational priority for youth to help combat obesity crisis in the state. According to the Trust for America’s Healthy Survey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21%. Instructing children with the aspects of healthy nutritional choices at a young age is critical to addressing issues of weight. The
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Russell County landscape is home to an assortment of terrains. The county is home to large amounts of farmland, woodlands, streams, rivers and a large lake. Russell County Extension Office held its annual Progressive Farm Safety Day in conjunction with the Progressive Ag Foundation and hosted approximately 2200, 3rd grade students from the county. The farm safety day was also attended by approximately 40 teachers, and community volunteers to help make the day a success.This
Author: Laura Rogers
Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Classes teaching the technique of planting and producing vegetables at Sky Hope Recovery Center, Pulaski County. The recovering women from addiction planted a raised bed garden under the supervision of Beth Wilson, UK Horticulture Agent for Pulaski County, and Laura Rogers, Kentucky State University Small Farm Agent. The garden's produce was harvested and weighed; then, they took the vegetables into the kitchen to add to the menu for the evening meal—increasing the confidence of the re
