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, Spurgeon, Lovett,
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: Plan, Eat, Move

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

Grow Your Garden-Grow Your Mind

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

                         Grow your Garden, Grow your Mind  October 2023 Success StoryAccording to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health in 2021, 23.05% of people in Kentucky reported as having a mental illness of some kind in the past year (defined as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, other than a developmental or substance use disorder). Four in 10 adults in the US were report

Full Story

Tree Week 2023

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Tree Week is the brainchild of UK’s Urban Forest Initiative and has been in Lexington and a few other satellite locations for 5 years.  Not only is the week about planting trees and overall learning more about trees, but it’s also an impetus to get people outside in nature. Pulaski County has participated since 2021. The Pulaski County Horticulture Agent organized a committee in April 2023 to plan and organize events for Tree Week 2023 (October 8-16). Master Gardeners,

Full Story

Pulaski County Youth Explore Cultures Through Passport Kitchen Program

Author: Abigail Roy

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

Pulaski County Youth Explore Cultures Through Passport Kitchen Program

From school visits I learned that a lot of young people in our county are interested in learning more cooking skills. To add more opportunities for youth to work on cooking skills, Pulaski County 4-H kickstarted a new program “Passport Kitchen” where students were able to cook dishes from countries around the world in their own homes. Passport Kitchen is a wonderful avenue to allow youth to practice cooking skills in a culturally immersive way. Each participant was given a kit that I

Full Story

Preparing Your Garden

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS

     Today we are finding out that Gardening is not only great for producing healthy vegetables, but it is also a valuable tool for our mental and physical state of mind. Vegetable gardening not only helps to provide us with fresh vegetables, but it also allows us to be outdoors, increases our self-esteem, relieves stress in our body, helps us to feel better and provides us a tool for using our motor skills through exercising, bending up and down. Our clients that were enrolled in

Full Story

'365 Days of Gardening' Raised Bed Gardening Series

Author: Bethany Wilson

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

This home gardening series is in its second year, created by the Pulaski Co Horticulture Agent and one Extension Master Gardener.  During summer 2023, the program had over 30 different participants over the 5 monthly programs. During 2024, 72 people participated in 7 monthly programs.This Pulaski County Extension Horticulture program brought together gardening enthusiasts of all skill levels, empowering them with knowledge and skills to cultivate thriving gardens in limited spaces. Through

Full Story

Cooking With Cast Iron

Author: Edith Lovett

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

The problem..how to use Cast Iron Appliances in cooking The educational program response tp those who had never used Cast Iron ProductsThe participants/target audience any interested personOther partners (if applicable)Program impact or participant response.The "Back to the Basics: Cooking with Cast Iron" program, led by the Lake Cumberland Area Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agents, was a big success. Cast iron cookware is often passed down through generations, symbolizi

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