Wellness & Healthy Communities-NEWPlan of Work

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Pulaski County CES

Title:
Wellness & Healthy Communities-NEW
MAP:
Health and Wellness
Agents Involved:
Adkins, Wilson, Cole, Spurgeon, Lovett, Rogers
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Health
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Substance Use and Mental Health - ANR
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

2022 Progressive Ag & 4-H Safety Day

Author: Jennifer Cole

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 2022, Pulaski County Extension Agents: Jennifer Cole, Erica Spurgeon & TJ Adkins collaborated together to host a Progressive Ag and 4-H Safety Day for nearly 675 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.  Students from Northern and Southern Middle Schools attended and Science

Full Story

Pulaski County Middle Schoolers Strive for Safety

Author: Erica Spurgeon

Major Program: Health

Pulaski County Middle Schoolers Strive for Safety

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and it encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity & inclusion.  In September 2022, Pulaski County Extension Agents: Jennifer Cole, Erica Spurgeon, & TJ Adkins collaborated to host a Progressive Ag and 4-H Safety Day for 675 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.   Students from Northern and Southern Middle Schools attended, and Science Hill In

Full Story

Radon

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Building Healthy Coalitions

Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agents  encourages families to make proactive choices to improve individual health and wellbeing. To encourage more people to have their home checked for Radon, the Pulaski County Extension Office have hosted two workshops to increase knowledge about  Radon in the home.   It is the goal through education and increased awareness, health hazards caused by radon can be reduced in Pulaski County.      Kentucky has the highest lung

Full Story

Savor the Flavor: Cooking with Oils and Vinegars

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

 “Cooking with Flavor Oils and Vinegars” Research shows that people who prepare and cook meals at home are more likely to eat the recommended fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains needed in a balanced diet. Building skills and cooking knowledge increases the likelihood that people choose to prepare home cooked meals.                 To encourage more home prepared meals, the Pulaski County Extension FCS Agent offered t

Full Story

Safety Day

Author: Trent Adkins

Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. Pulaski County Extension Agents: Jennifer Cole, Erica Spurgeon & TJ Adkins collaborated together to host a Progressive Ag and 4-H Safety Day for nearly 675 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.   Students from Northern and Southern Middle Schools attended and Science Hill Independent attend

Full Story

Grow Your Garden-Grow Your Mind

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Aging-General

                            Grow your Garden, Grow your Mind April 2023 Success StoryAccording to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health in 2021, 23.05% of people in Kentucky report a mental illness of any kind in the past year (defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, other than a developmental or substance use disorder). 4 in 10 adults in the US have at least one chronic disease, and 6 i

Full Story

Horticulture Programming in 2022-23

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

All people benefit from horticulture and green space. According to the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture, plants increase our well-being at home, at school, and in recovery.  Homes and classrooms with plants increase relaxation. Classrooms with plants improve test scores by 10% and have a calming effect on children. Patients recovering from surgery took less pain relievers and went home sooner when their rooms contained plants. Therefore, educating adults and youth in horticultu

Full Story

Recovery Gardens at Sky Hope Rehabilitation 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.  In a survey (2016-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health) of individuals over the age of 12, 8 to 9% of those respondents had used illicit drugs in the past month in the Pulaski County area.  In addition, Kentucky’s 2021 Overdose Fatality Report indicated Pulaski County’s death rate due to drug overdoses was 59.8 deaths per 100,000

Full Story

Thriving Cloverbud Club

Author: Erica Spurgeon

Major Program: Health

Thriving Cloverbud Club

Within the Kentucky 4-H program, most clubs and activities become available to youth at age nine. By this age most children have already developed interests and extracurricular involvement. This is why engaging with youth from ages five to eight is so important. Pulaski County has a thriving Cloverbud Club where youth ages five to eight can explore what 4-H has to offer. The Cloverbud Club boasts 40 members who attend meetings monthly or attend special outings and day camps. Agent Erica Spu

Full Story
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