Extension
It Starts With Us
Promote Health and Wellness
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Madalyn Hale, 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
Author: Aubrey Lawson
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. Clark County Agents were approached by a local Family Resource Coordinator who had conducted a survey of parents at the Intermediate School in Clark County. This survey determined that personal safety and safety education were a concern to many parents. On September 15th, 2023 the Clark County Extension Agents hosted a Progress
Author: Shonda Johnston
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
In 2021, the Clark County Extension Office provided a "Pumpkin Day" experience for one of our local elementary school's Kindergarten- second graders, and another elementary school's Kindergarten-4th grade. as a result of the pandemic and their inability to visit pumpkin patches. The program was very successful and the schools were interested in doing it again the following year. In 2022 due to scheduling, we provided the pumpkin day experience to the original elementary school&
Author: Carrie Spry
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
One of the most consistent requests received at Clark County Extension from its constituents, is information on growing and cooking with herbs. With upward trends in eating healthier, growing your own food, and living a more self-sustainable life, more people have been hoping to learn about the benefits of herbs. Clark County Extensions Horticulture Agent and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered up for a 2-class series on Growing and Cooking with Herbs. The 2 classes covered all things h
