Making healthy Lifestyle Choices and Citizen EducationPlan of Work

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Fayette County CES

Title:
Making healthy Lifestyle Choices and Citizen Education
MAP:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices and Citizen Education
Agents Involved:
Neal, Dockery, Brooks, McMahan, Clark, Powell, Sarantakos
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Faithful Families
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Business Retention and Expansion
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Situation:

The obesity epidemic threatens the quality of life years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90% over the last 15 years. Thirty-percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy foods, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic.

Nutrition education programs, local / home garden, and farmer's markets help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars; communities to decrease hunger; and local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy safe food preparation methods, importance of sustainable practices, and improvement of individual/local gardening practices. Citizens receive education on senior issues, parenting and low vision resources. Agents, paraprofessionals, and volunteers are pivotal in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.

There are over 9950 children in out of home care, of which 1444 reside in the Southern Bluegrass Region. Substance abuse contributed to 50% of all child abuse and neglect cases. These numbers contribute to the instability of families, communities, social services and economic stability and growth. 

Parenting education programs reduce risk factors that are known to contribute to abuse and neglect. Teaching skills like communicating with respect, nurturing parenting, alternatives to spanking, understanding feelings, conflict resolution, ages and stages of development, praising children and their behavior and other parenting skills aid in prevention and reduction of child and neglect.


Long-Term Outcomes:

Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating.

Improve access and availability of local foods to the community. Provide education and resource availability regarding senior social issues, low visibility and parenting.

Reduce the number of children placed in out of home care. 

Reduce the numbers of cases for abuse and neglect

Reduce the recidivism rate of cases of abuse and neglect.

Improve nurturing parenting skills.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Practice of physical activity and healthy food choices in families and communities through decreased time of sedentary behaviors, maintaining appropriate calorie intake, and practicing healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individual’s ability to cope with normal life stressors.

Residents will increase practices related to Community and Economic Development by increased participation in job preparedness programs, involvement in local community events, developing new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, and adopting fiscally responsible behaviors

Participants will practice nurturing parenting skills with their children.

Participants will have children returned to home. 

Initial Outcomes:

Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes towards parenting, discipline, home management and conflict resolution skills.

The practice and promotion of healthy food and nutrition, financial and mental well-being.

Evaluation:

Outcome:  Long-term Families will be reunited

Indicator:  Participants will use alternative to spanking, which reduces the risk of physical abuse. No new cases of abuse or neglect.

Method:  Self-reported

Timeline:  ongoing


Outcome:  Intermediate: No new cases/allegations of abuse or     

neglect.

Indicator:  Participants will practice using alternatives to spanking, effective communication, conflict resolution and will have appropriate expectations for children. 

Method:  Self-report 

Timeline: ongoing 

Outcome:  Initial: Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes towards parenting, discipline, home management and conflict resolution skills.

Indicator:  Participants will learn to adopt nurturing parenting skills that increase the child’s self-esteem, set age appropriate boundaries and expectations, establish effective communication habits and apply increased knowledge and awareness that was learned.

Method:  Weekly Evaluation/Survey, AAPI 1 and AAPI2

Timeline:  Ongoing


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: LEAP

Content or Curriculum: LEAP curriculum

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Agents, NEP Program assistants, CES Publications

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Physical Activity Programs

Content or Curriculum: Zumba and Strength 

Input: KY Cooperative Extension Agents- MB/ CM

Dates: Ongoing as requested 


Audience: African American Adults 

Project: Diabetes Prevention Program- Fit and Faithful

Content or Curriculum: Fit and Faithful curriculum- UK- College of Nursing

Inputs: Change Research Team, Extension agent trained as CHW- MB, Faith Based community

Audience: Adults


Audience: Community/ Senior Facilities/ Older adults

Project: Bingocize 

Content: WKU- Jason Crandall and Research Team

Inputs: Aging Extension Specialist, Bingocize trained agents

Dates: session completed this spring and ongoing upon request 


Project or Activity: Walk with the Doc 

Content or Curriculum: Various Curriculums

Input, KY Cooperative Extension Agents- MB/CM, Healthy Kentucky Iniative  public and private health agencies, non-profit organizations

Dates: in early planning phases 



Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Kentucky Plate it Up/ Farmer's Market

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up Curriculum

Input: KY Cooperative Extension Agents, CES publications, KDA, NEP assistants

Dates: Summer, Fall and Spring


Audience: Community/ Families 

Project or Activity: Be Healthy Bash 

Content or Curriculum: various 

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, CES publications; NEP, UK healthcare/ Healthy Kentucky Iniative, local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: ongoing, early planning phases for annual event 


Audience: Adults, Teens & Youth

Project or Activity: Phone calls, e-mails, and office visit customer service opportunities

Content or Curriculum: Available resources through CES publications, specialists, and listed curricula

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: On-Going


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Fayette County Drug Free Projects

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Drug prevention

Inputs 4-H Agents, 4-H Assistants, FCS Agents, LFUCG, Police Department

Dates: ongoing


Audience: Teens & Youth

Project or Activity: Cooking/Food & Nutrition Club(s)

Content or curriculum: 4-H curriculum; FCS curriculum; Plate It Up recipes

Inputs: 4-H Agents,4-H assistants, volunteers

Date: day camps, after-school programs, monthly club meetings and as requested


Audience: Adult and Youth

Project or Activity: SNAP-Ed/ Double dollars

Content or Curriculum: NEP curriculum, CES Publications

Inputs: EFNEP and SNAP Ed assistants, County Extension Agents

Date: On-Going


Audience: Community residents

Project or Activity: Growing Community program

Content or Curriculum: ID-128

Inputs: Volunteers, collaborating agencies, LFUCG, County agents

Date: Annually in May



Audience: Fayette County School Students

Project or Activity: Agriculture Education for Fayette County School students

Content or Curriculum: Teach Students about agriculture and show where food comes from.

Inputs: Leaders, Agents, Fayette County Schools, Locust Trace School.

Date: Spring and Fall.


Audience: Community Residents & Businesses

Project: Local Foods Committee & Coordinator

Content & Curriculum: Collaborating Agencies, LFUCG, Agents, Specialist

Date: All Year


Audience: Fayette County Schools Administration and Board

Project: School Health and Wellness Days 

Content & curriculum: Agents- MB/CM, Specialist and CES curriculum

Date: Ongoing as requested 

Audience: Senior Adults

Projects: Embracing the Next Best Years,  Grandparents Raising Relatives

Content and Curriculum: Fayette County Agent- MB, Specialists, GAP and Embracing Next Best Years Planning committee 

Date: ongoing throughout the year planning for annual events


Audience: Adults

Projects: Food and Nutrition

Content: Food for Thought, Food Preservation, Adult Cooking, Champion Food Volunteers, Extension agents- MB/CM

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Community residents

Project or Activity: Master gardener projects related to food production

Content or Curriculum: Publications

Inputs: volunteers, specialists, county agents

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Community residents

Project or Activity: Growing Community program

Content or Curriculum: ID-128

Inputs: Volunteers, collaborating agencies, LFUCG, County agents

Date: Annually in May


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Farmer's Market/Plate it Up

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up, KY Department of Ag

Inputs: Cooperative Extension Agent, specialists, KDA, Lexington Farmer's Market

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults, Teens & Youth

Project or Activity: Phone calls, e-mails, and social media curriculum

Content or Curriculum: SNAP Ed/EFNEP resources through CES publications, specialists, and listed curricula; planeatmove.com

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Kentucky CES publications

Date: On-Going


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: SKY Families Program 

Content or Curriculum: Nurturing Parenting Curriculum

Inputs: Carla Jordan

 Date: 6-week sessions.  Class meets twice per week for 1 hour  and a half.


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity:  Plate It Up

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up

 Inputs: EFNEP Assistant

 Date: 5 classes per session




Success Stories

Food Preservation Series

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

There is new interest in traditional food preservation methods among consumers. The decision to preserve food at home could be driven by several reasons, including but not limited to preserving home-grown foods, sustainability, controlling ingredients found in foods (e.g., sodium, added sugar), saving money, or the simple enjoyment of reviving family traditions. With food preservation, food safety and research-based practices are critical to ensure consumer health and wellness. To ensure lo

Full Story

Food Preservation Series

Author: Maranda Brooks

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

Food Preservation Series

There is new interest in traditional food preservation methods among consumers. The decision to preserve food at home could be driven by several reasons, including but not limited to preserving home-grown foods, sustainability, controlling ingredients found in foods (e.g., sodium, added sugar), saving money, or the simple enjoyment of reviving family traditions. With food preservation, food safety and research-based practices are critical to ensure consumer health and wellness. To ensure lo

Full Story

Adaptive Sewing Class

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

In Extension, we strive to ensure our programming is relevant and accessible to people of all levels of abilities. In partnership with the Eastern Kentucky University Occupational Therapy Program, I identified a need for adaptive sewing classes at the Fayette County Extension Office. Sewing and quilting classes are offered frequently in my county and are central to many of our community members’ lives and cultures. Thus, it is important to provide adaptive programming to address and meet t

Full Story

Gardening and Nutrition Education Program at AVOL

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Gardening and Nutrition Education Program - AVOL AVOL Kentucky is an essential component of the Fayette County community with the goals of helping medically vulnerable people navigate to permanent and stable housing, access medical care (health screenings and preventative medications for HIV) and receive social support. Their mission is to collaborate with community partners to end HIV in Kentucky. Fayette County Extension strives to provide programmi

Full Story

Gardening and Nutrition Education Program - AVOL

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

AVOL Kentucky is an essential component of the Fayette County community with the goals of helping medically vulnerable people navigate to permanent and stable housing, access medical care (health screenings and preventative medications for HIV) and receive social support. Their mission is to collaborate with community partners to end HIV in Kentucky. Fayette County Extension strives to provide programming and resources, reduce barriers to healthy living, and introdu

Full Story

Savor the Flavor/ Dining with Diabetes: Fit and Flavor Edition

Author: Maranda Brooks

Major Program: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes

Savor the Flavor/ Dining with Diabetes: Fit and Flavor Edition

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 homecooked meals. To encourage more home-prepared meals, the Fayette County Extension Office presented the Savor the Flavor series to their community participants. The Savor the Flavor program focused on various types of cook

Full Story

Feeding the Need for Knowledge

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Fayette County is one of Kentucky's most populus cities. The demand for accurate, reliable gardening information is great. The Fayette County Extension horticulture program is well known, and we strive to provide relevant information in a variety of ways. One of our most popular offerings is a series of informal gardening classes called Gardener's Toolbox. We discovered that teaching classes helped circumvent countless phone discussions. Horticulture staff often source new or improved va

Full Story

College of Public Health Deal Day

Author: Maranda Brooks

Major Program: Economic Development and Workforce Preparation - FCS

The problem- College of Public Health Research Project Manager found that students were lacking opportunities to be exposed and explore new public healthy revlevant career opportunities including work in the extension services. The educational program response- FCS/ NEP collaborated to offering educational/ outreach opportunity to UK college of Public Health student to discuss career filed and overview of what extension services is and role of NEP program, prepped, co-led session regarding

Full Story

Savor the Flavor: Herbs with the Aphasia Lab

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

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 Fayette County Extension Office partners with the Aphasia Lab in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department at th

Full Story

4-H STEM: Suture and First Aid

Author: Genaea Sarantakos

Major Program: Science, Engineering, and Technology

The problemFollowing our December dissection lab, our 4-H community requested more hands- on STEM opportunities for youth to participate in. The educational program responseWith the help of 4 UK Medical School students who expressed interest in volunteering with 4-H, they created and hosted a highly hands-on workshop for youth to explore medical sciences. Youth learned and experienced suturing, how to splint injuries, stop the bleed, and treat burns.The participants/target audience4-H youth

Full Story

Savor the Flavor: Herbs with Fayette County Homemakers

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

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 Fayette County Extension Office hosted the workshop Savor the Flavor: Building Flavor with Herbs. The Savor the Flavor program focused on flavoring dishes with herbs. FC

Full Story

Growing Community

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

One of Lexington’s most diverse and economically disadvantaged populations lives in the Woodhill neighborhood. Most of Woodhill’s elementary-age students attend Breckinridge Elementary where nearly 80% of its students receive free or reduced lunches. This is significantly higher than the state average. Housing conditions and employment opportunities are ailing, and this area is home to an increasing refugee and immigrant population. Woodhill Community Center is a newer neighborhood d

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Gardening program provides seniors a sense of community and health benefits

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

There is a well documented link between gardening and physical and mental health. As our population ages we are increasingly aware of health issues and many seniors struggle to eat healthy meals on limited incomes. These issues are often exacerbated for those in low income or marginalized populations. In an effort to address some of these concerns The Fayette Extension horticulture agent and Senior NEP assistant developed a hybrid curriculum and program utilizing the healthy choices lessons

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Be Healthy Bash 2024

Author: Caroline McMahan

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Kentucky as a state has the highest prevalence of multiple forms of cancer in the United States, with many Kentuckians having additional risk factors including obesity, inactivity, and barriers to health screenings and other forms of preventative healthcare. Additionally, many people report low levels of knowledge and skills related to being able to make healthy lifestyle choices, like eating a wide variety of healthy foods, getting enough physical activity, and understanding warning signs of il

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Passport Kitchen

Author: Amanda Clark

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

In our increasingly interconnected world, young people must acquire the knowledge and skills to engage effectively. Local economies now rely more than ever on international resources, and those who thrive in this interconnected economy are adaptable individuals who embrace multiculturalism. Passport Kitchen is a program designed to help young people take their first steps in developing these skills. It not only promotes family mealtime but also fosters life readiness skills. By collaboratively w

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