Health & WellnessPlan of Work

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Simpson County CES

Title:
Health & Wellness
MAP:
23-24 Adopting Healthy Lifestyles
Agents Involved:
Catherine Webster, Jason Phillips, Nancy Doyle
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Health
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Building Healthy Coalitions
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Food Preparation and Preservation
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Situation:

Health and wellness are concepts that apply to physical, financial and family well-being. Kentuckians are dying from heart disease & cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy. 71% of high school youth don’t get enough physical activity and physical activity only decreases as we age. The obesity epidemic, increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and lack of built environments are other factors that threaten the quality & years of life of Kentuckians. Families need assistance in gaining access to food, stretching food dollars, preparing healthy foods and building nurturing families. Communities that work together with other concerned citizens & organizations are much more likely to bring public awareness to important health issues. All of these topics were identified by the County Extension Council as program needs.

Long-Term Outcomes:

The overall well-being of families will be increased as they gain skills and abilities to provide for the nutritional, physical, and developmental needs of family members. Youth will maintain positive health habits and be competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of participating in 4-H Health programs.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Individuals, youth, and families:

• make healthy food choices & build skills related to selecting and/or preparing nutritious meals

• increase their level of physical activity and decrease their stress

• keep tract of health through timely screenings and visits to health care professionals

• the built environment (sidewalks) will be enhanced by grants, community input and the involvement of city & county governments

Initial Outcomes:

Initial Outcome:

Individuals, youth, and families:

• report making healthy food choices

• learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods

• gain knowledge about their personal health status

• will take advantage of opportunities to be screened for disease

• identify ways to improve physical fitness

• understand risky behaviors and their consequences

• aspire to have higher self-esteem

• identify healthy ways to handle stress

Evaluation:

Outcome: Participants in SNAP Ed program identify healthy food choices and learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods.

Indicator : Family records and self-reporting

Method: SNAP materials and programs

Timeline: 2023-2024


Outcome: Families will prepare healthy meals 

Indicator: Family records and self-reporting

Method: Evaluations via Email, Qualtrics 

Timeline: 2023-2024


Outcome: Youth and Adults will adopt health lifestyle choices including food choices

Indicator: Youth and adults will report making healthy lifestyle choices with regards to food and health

Method: Follow up surveys 

Timeline: 2023-2024


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Homemaker Members

Project or Activity: Air Fryers/Electric Pressure Cookers, Foraging in KY, Savor the Flavor, Home remedies

Content or Curriculum: Extension materials

Inputs: Agent led, train-the-trainer

Date: July 2023-June 2024


Audience: 4-H Members

Project or Activity: In Person or Virtual Cooking Classes

Content: 

Inputs: Community partners, staff, volunteers, 4-H & FCS foods curriculum, 4-H members, food and equipment 

Date: October 2023-May 2024


Audience: Extension Homemakers

Project or Activity: Workshop to promote Health Information Card/Promote trip to local farmers Markets

Inputs: Agent led, train-the trainer for clubs, food and nutrition information

Date: July 2023 - April 2024


Audience: Families with young children

Project or Activity: Cooking with Your Kids

Content or Curriculum: Family Mealtime Curriculum

Inputs: Community Education, volunteer helpers, food and equipment, Culinary Kitchen at the High School

Date: October 2023-May 2024


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Food Preservation Classes

Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum, UK specialists

Inputs: Extension Agents, UK Approved recipes, 

Date: 2023-2024


Audience: Snap recipients or candidates

Project or Activity: Nutrition Education

Content or Curriculum: Snap-Ed curriculum, LEAP, Plate it Up, Eat Plan Move

Inputs: Extension Agents, School District

Date: 2023-2024


Audience: 7th Grade

Project or Activity: STOP

Content or Curriculum: STOP Scenarios

Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, Local Law Enforcement Agencies & Child Service Advocates

Date: December 2023


Audience: 6th Grade

Project or Activity: Health Rocks including the Youth Health Fair

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks

Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, County Health Coalition

Date: November 2023-April 2024


Audience: General public

Project or Activity:  Cook Wild and Wild Game Video Series

Content or Curriculum:  Cook Wild recipes from UK

Inputs:  UK approved recipes, Extension Agents, paid staff

Date:  August 2023 - July 2024


Audience: 4th Grade

Project or Activity: Environmental Field Day

Content or Curriculum: 4th Grade KY Science Core Content

Inputs: Extension Agents, Community Park, KDA, Local Businesses/Organizations, Simpson Co. Farm Bureau Federation, School District

Date: April 2024



Success Stories

Cooking Through the Calendar

Author: Nancy Doyle

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy.  The obesity epidemic, increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and lack of built environments are other factors that threaten the quality and years of life of Kentuckians.  The educational program responseIn an effort to increase the well-being of families and increase their abilities to make healthy food choices by preparing meals at home, the Simpson

Full Story

LEAP

Author: Nancy Doyle

Major Program: LEAP

In the Mammoth Cave Area, the incidence rates for adult and youth overweight and obesity, are above the national average.  Studies have shown that youth and adults are more likely to try healthy foods when presented with a fun, participatory group activity like the LEAP program.  Literacy Eating and Activity for Youth is offered by Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agents, in 7 Mammoth Cave Area Counties including Barren, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren.During th

Full Story

Food Preservation

Author: Nancy Doyle

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

With prices of groceries ever increasing and concern over the economy, there has been an interest in learning to can and preserve food so that participants may be self-sufficient with a deeper connection to local food sources.  Four Food Preservation Workshops were offered to teach safe canning, freezing, and dehydrating methods by providing hands-on workshops, fact sheets and research-based recipes.  Eleven participants total, 3 adults and 8 youth attended two workshops to properly pr

Full Story

Safety Day

Author: Nancy Doyle

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

Based on schools being out for the summer and more children being left at home alone or with limited supervision, it was discovered there was a need to increase the knowledge of these youth of safe practices at home.  The Simpson County Extension Office partnered with the Simpson County Ag Advisory Council and the Family Resource Service Center to plan a 4th and 5th Grade Safety Day.  Students were rotated through seven stations to learn about Animal Safety, Internet Safety, Kitchen Sa

Full Story

Adulting 101

Author: Nancy Doyle

Major Program: Family Development General

According to a recent survey by YouScience  75% graduates reported they felt “moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared” for what might come next after high school.  To help better prepare our local students, the Family Resource and Service Center along with the Simpson County Extension FCS Agent, 4-H agent, and two KSU agents along with volunteers from the community hosted an Adulting 101 day for the graduating seniors.   186 Students rotated through six rotations

Full Story
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