Extension
It Starts With Us
Promote Health and Wellness
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Madalyn Wells, Levi Berg, Shonda Johnston, Carrie Spry, Aubrey Lawson
Local Food Systems
Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Leadership
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. Cooperative Extension Services agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences 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 as well as addressing substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities.
- Increase in practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be more healthy
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations
- Decrease tobacco/ substance use and delayed age of first use among Kentucky youth
- Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco/substance use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy practices
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling)
- Increase motivation to be active
- Increase awareness of accessible safe places for activity
- Increase knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery (or related subject matter)
Outcome: Understanding of the consequences associated with substance abuse
Indicator: Increased knowledge of the consequences associated with substance abuse as indicated in post evaluation
Method: Post Evaluation of Programs
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Increase awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills and attitudes needed to make informed choices and implementation of daily physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase in physical activity levels
Method: Post Evaluation of Programs
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Availability / Access to healthy lifestyle choices
Indicator: Number of communities, health coalitions, or organizations who reported: implemented policy, system, and/or environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: high school youth
Project or Activity: Truth and Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences Curriculum
Inputs: Clark County Cooperative Extension Staff, High School Personnel, Community volunteers and agencies
Date: Spring
Audience: Families, & Adults
Project or Activity: Farmers Market/Community Festivals & Events
Content or Curriculum: Benefits of Beef Consumption; Farmer's Market Toolkit; SNAP-Ed tools; Plate it Up Recipes
Inputs: Kentucky Beef Council promotional material and staff, UK Specialist, UK Publications, Clark County Cattlemen’s Association; community partners; Master Gardeners; Community Volunteers
Date: Summer/Fall
Audience: youth, families and adults
Project or Activity: UK Health Bulletins, Health and Wellness Ambassador program
Content or Curriculum: UK Health Bulletins, Health and Wellness Ambassador program
Inputs: UK Health Bulletins, 4-H/ANR/FCS Newsletters, publication racks, Health and Wellness Ambassador program
Date: monthly
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Gardening Classes and Workshops
Content or Curriculum: Gardening Care workshops
Inputs: UK Publications, Master Gardeners, Community Garden, Community Garden Plots
Date: Summer/Fall
Audience: Adults & Families
Project or Activity: Media Outreach (Newspaper/Radio)
Content or Curriculum: Health Benefits of Gardening, and Consuming Fruits and Vegetables
Inputs: UK Publications, E-Xtension, Winchester Sun,
Date: Quarterly
Audience: 9-18 year Olds
Project or Activity: Fitness Frenzy
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Core Content
Inputs: Parks & Rec, 4-H Staff, Certified Volunteers
Date: Spring
Audience: Adults and Families
Project or Activity: Wellness Challenge Classes
Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum
Inputs: Clark County 4-H, FCS, and ANR/Hort
Date: Annually every winter/spring
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Master Health Volunteers, Health Bulletins, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, extension staff, community partners
Date: Monthly
Audience: 4-Hers Ages 12-18
Project or Activity: Outdoor Adventure Club
Content or Curriculum: Local Natural Resources sites and activities
Inputs: Volunteers, extension staff, community partners
Date: Monthly
Author: Madalyn Hale
Major Program: Natural Resources
The Clark County Extension Office continued their support of local growers and producers through their support of the Winchester/Clark County Farmers Market with a Kid's Day Event. Extension and other sponsors offered $10 vouchers to the first 100 kids that were redeemable from each vendor at the Farmers Market. More than 130 youth were in attendance that day and more than 85% of the vouchers were redeemed as well. This helped youth learn about and experience fresh, local foods that they may
Author: Shonda Johnston
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The Winchester/Clark County Farmer's Market operates from May through September. The farmers see a sharp decline in sales after children return to school in August. This affects the farmers profit as well is indicates a decline in access of local produce for the community. To address these concerns, the Clark County Extension Office helped sponsor the Kids Day event held on August 20, 2022 at the Winchester/Clark County Farmers Market. Ten dollar vouchers were given to the first 100 kids in
Author: Shonda Johnston
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The Clark County Extension Agents worked with Clark County Farm Bureau and participated in an event call Agventures on Depot. This event brought together farmers, growers, producers, bankers, and more to help introduce and educate youth about agriculture. All program areas of Clark Extension worked together while participating in this event to offer the youth several activities along with educational information. Kentucky Department of Agriculture's "Kentucky Kate" was loaned
