Wellness & Healthy Communities-NEWPlan of Work

Back to Plans for the County

Pulaski County CES

Title:
Wellness & Healthy Communities-NEW
MAP:
Health and Wellness
Agents Involved:
Ag, FCS, Hort, 4-H
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Health
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Small Farm Management
Situation:

With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices.  CES Agents are encouraged to reach diverse audience to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities.  Focusing on a foundation of overall direct health education to increase health literacy and ability to make healthy lifestyle choices.  Including creating spaces or opportunities for active living and health behaviors.

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion.  In Kentucky 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in nation). Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health disease can affect anyone, with 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths (a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons) in Kentucky and Vaping nearly doubled among middle and high school students — with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018.

Home gardeners face a myriad of products and internet information that can confuse even a knowledgeable person. It's easy to find an answer on the many pages of the web, especially those websites promoting a product.

Those planting for their enjoyment at home have a number of choices in what to grow in their landscapes. Getting plants established and caring for them correctly is the next hurdle.

With the right information from Extension, home gardeners can be better stewards of their little patch of earth. Many gardeners feel overwhelmed with pesticide and fertilizer choices, plant choices, and most are not well-versed in soil fertility and which pesticides are the safest and are the most efficacious

Long-Term Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes:


 

Initial Outcomes:
Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake.

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported eating 4 to 6 servings of fruits and or vegetables daily; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions.

Method: Self report surveys

Timeline: Pre and post implementing curricula or program

Intermediate Outcome:  Physical Activity, Knowledge, skills and competencies

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported; knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase physical activity levels.

Method: Self report survey

Timeline: Ongoing

Long-term Outcome:  Chronic Disease Prevention

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported; participants who had one or more health indicators,  such as cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose improved.

Timeline:  On going


4-H

Initial Outcome: Promote optimal physical, social and emotional health habits 

Indicator: More youth participate in activities that improve physical, social and emotional habits 

Method: Common Measures

Timeline: School Year, September - May

Intermediate Outcome: Improved perceived stress and ability to cope

Indicator: Youth will use coping skills to destress and will improve mental health

Method: Common Measures (Same as above).

Timeline: On-Going, Sept. - May

Long-Term: Decrease in chronic diseases in youth, decrease risk in youth for physical and emotional abuse

Indicator: Youth will have an overall higher quality of and more positive outlook on their life.

Method: Common Measures Survey (Same as above), Observation

Learning Opportunities:

Audience:  Pulaski Community

Project or Activity: Policy, Systems and Environmental Approaches 

Content or Curriculum: Health Coalitions, Diabetes Coalition

Inputs: Volunteers, community partners, key state holders, elected officials, Health Coalitions, SNAP Ed Toolkit

Date: On going

 

Audience:  Families and Individuals

Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention

Content or Curriculum: Publications, health bulletins, Fit Blue, Dining with Diabetes, Plate It Up, Kentucky Proud Resources, Keys to Embracing Aging

Inputs: Programmatic materials, community partners, health coalitions, Health Department SNAP, Schools, Homemakers

Date: On Going

 

Audience:  KEHA

Content or Curriculum:  Monthly Lessons

Inputs: FCS Agents, community partners

Date:  On going

 

Audience: Youth- Cloverbuds

Project Activity: Mental Health

Content or Curriculum: Mindful Me

Inputs: 4-H volunteers, teen volunteers, agent

Date: Club meetings Sept-May

 

Audience: Youth in schools

Project Activity: fruit tasting- try a new fruit/vegetable each month

Content or Curriculum: 

Inputs: Agents, teachers, SNAP-Ed assistant 

Date: school year

 

Audience: Middle & High School Youth

Project Activity: Addiction Prevention

Content Curriculum: Health Rocks!

Inputs: 4-H Agent, trainings, specialists, volunteers

Date: Sept-May

 

Audience: Home gardeners

Project or Activity: various classes on home gardening topics

Content or Curriculum: powerpoints, Extension publications

Inputs: Specialists, other Hort agents, Extension publications

Date: throughout year 

 

Audience: Home gardeners

Project or Activity: Horticulture newsletter

Content or Curriculum: unique articles, Extension publications

Inputs: Specialists, other Hort agents, Extension publications

Date: throughout year 

 

Audience: all citizens of Pulaski Co

Project or Activity: Newspaper articles

Content or Curriculum: timely updates on home landscape issues, Extension publications, KY Pest News

Inputs: Extension publications, Specialists social media posts or emails, KY Pest News

Date: throughout year 

 

Audience: all citizens

Project or Activity: social media updates

Content or Curriculum: timely information, interesting information as related to horticulture, environment, or sustainability

Inputs: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Hootsuite app

Date: throughout year 

 



Success Stories

"Non-Smoking Ordinance Challenge"

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Building Healthy Coalitions

                                                 “Non-Smoking ordinance Challenge”The Somerset City Council approved the first reading amendment to the nonsmoking ordinance to allow the Birdies and Barrels Cigar Bar, a venue for cigar connoisseurs, to enjoy smoking a cigar with their drinks at the new Cigar Bar to be built in downtown Somerset.   The

Full Story

"Habitat for Humanity Building a House"

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General

                “Habitat for Humanity Building a House”Pulaski County Extension is concerned about the health, mental and physical development of its people in the county. They also care about the housing needs of the community and what they can do to help others have a better lifestyle. Pulaski County’s Habitat for Humanity volunteers builds a house yearly to help a deserving family have a place they can call their home. Workin

Full Story

4-H Safety 2021

Author: Jennifer Cole

Major Program: Health

4-H Safety 2021

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion.  In September 2021, Pulaski County Extension Agents: TJ Adkins, Jennifer Cole and Erica Spurgeon collaborated together to host a 4-H Safety for nearly 630 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.  The goal of the 4-H Safety Day was to promote and bring awareness to 8th graders in many general

Full Story

4-H Safety Day

Author: Trent Adkins

Major Program: Health

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion.  In September 2021, Pulaski County Extension Agents: TJ Adkins, Jennifer Cole and Erica Spurgeon collaborated together to host a 4-H Safety for nearly 630 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.  The goal of the 4-H Safety Day was to promote and bring awareness to 8th graders in many general

Full Story

4-H Safety Day 2021

Author: Erica Spurgeon

Major Program: Health

4-H Safety Day 2021

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and it encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. In September 2021, Pulaski County Extension Agents: TJ Adkins, Jennifer Cole, and Erica Spurgeon collaborated to host a 4-H Safety Day for nearly 630 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center. The goal of the 4-H Safety Day was to promote and bring awareness to 8th graders in many general areas of saf

Full Story

Residents Learn and Grow at the Gardens at Sky Hope Recovery Center

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

In Pulaski County's 2018 Community Assessment, substance abuse treatment ranked as important to very important to the 609 respondents. Sky Hope Rehabilitation Center is a 100-bed facility for women with drug addictions.  Pulaski County has a large drug abuse problem. Gardening has been shown to have many positive effects on humans. There are physical, cognitive, social, and psychological benefits such as improvement in self-esteem, alleviation of depression, increased strength and stami

Full Story

Small Fruit Saturday Attracts Younger Extension Audiences

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Blueberries can be a hard fruit to grow since it has very exact soil requirements that must be met. Many Pulaski County gardeners have tried and failed to grow blueberries successfully, evident from the many phone calls and plant samples received over the years at the Pulaski County Extension Service office. More often than not, no soil test was completed before planting, setting many people up for failure. Small fruits in general (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc) are popular crops

Full Story

Remote and Non-Traditional Programming Brings Non-Traditional Extension Users

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

COVID was an opportunity for Extension to find new ways to reach people. Webinars and grab bag kits, although not face-to-face, attracted non-traditional clients to their local Extension offices.  Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays, a weekly webinar on horticulture topics, presented by Horticulture Agents and UK Specialists, continued into 2021-22.  The Pulaski County Horticulture Agent presented 4 webinars. These webinars are live but are also posted to the YouTube channel. Metrics

Full Story
Back to Plans for the County