Extension
It Starts With Us
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
4-H, FCS, ANR, assistant(s)
Health & Wellbeing
Family and Consumer Science
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Food Preparation and Preservation
Healthy living encompasses many aspects including physical activity, personal safety, mental health, and addiction prevention. Russell County’s data profile shows that we exceed state and national incidence rates in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, substance abuse, and overall healthy days (Kentucky Health Facts). Implementation of savings and retirement planning can also lead to overall life satisfaction and reduce stress in the family.
Promote positive personal finance behaviors prepares Kentuckians for any future economic shift. The United States has been in an extremely long period of economic expansion; however, expansions are cyclical, meaning growth is eventually followed by recession. Securing financial stability for Kentuckians will help families thrive no matter the economic outlook. Financial stability is achieved when families are able to secure and manage resources needed to supply food, clothing, and shelter. Through increased financial knowledge, families may be able to make wise financial decisions, increase buying power, avoid overextended credit, develop savings habits, and manage risks.?
Promote positive personal life skill behaviors to Prepare Kentuckians to promote the usage of money-saving skills in the future. The ability to be able to learn essential skills, such as mend clothing, preserve food safely, and utilize hobbies to promote proper food protocols, will help families thrice in tough economic conditions. Financial stability is achieved when families are able to secure and manage resources needed to supply food, clothing, and shelter. Through increased consumer knowledge and life skills, families may be able to make wise financial decisions, increase buying power, and increase self-sufficiency.?
- Clientele maintaining positive health habits.
- Clientele lower their risk for serious illness and disease.
- Clientele lower their physical and emotional distress.
- Lower number of reported drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.
- Reduced fatalities on family farms and in the community.
- Clientele increase personal financial savings for emergencies and future needs.
- Better family money management skills, such as reducing debt, increasing savings, and financial planning.?
- More effective employees and community leaders.?
- Improved financial capability for Kentuckians, results in better quality of life and stronger families.?
- More self-sufficient capability for Kentuckians, resulting in a better quality of life and stronger families.??
- Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
- Improve academic success for children in Kentucky
- Clientele adopt behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Clientele report improved ability to cope with daily stress and distress.
- Clients adopt a physical activity plan.
- Clients choose healthy foods.
- Clients reduce risky behaviors.
- Clients develop and implement a personal and/or family savings plan.
- Adopt financial planning strategies for short-, mid-, and long-term goals.
- Understand and practice safe food preservation protocols.?
- Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
- Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Russell County
- Increase the number of learning activities experienced at home
- Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and self-management.
- Increase caregiver advocacy for children in their care including legal, medical, social, and educational services.
- Increase access to community services to caregivers
- Clientele learn the consequences of risky behavior.
- Clientele can identify healthy ways to handle stress.
- Clientele can identify healthy foods and/or the three components of physical activity.
- Clients gain knowledge on budgeting, saving, investing, and long-term financial planning.
- Change knowledge, opinions, skills, and aspirations, to improve employability through work and practical living skills and continuing education practices.
- Increase financial literacy (knowledge and skills) related to savings and investments.
- Increased understanding of food safety, and food preservation techniques
- Kentuckians understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
- Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion
- Improve child’s gross motor skills
- Improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary
- Increase awareness of indicators of high-risk adolescent behaviors
- Identify key points of adolescent development
- Establish realistic expectations for teen behavior, and explore changing relationships within families
Outcome: adoption of healthy lifestyle and stress coping practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement some aspect of healthy living and stress reduction
Method: self-evaluation and observation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: adoption of safety practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement knowledge gained on personal, farm, and internet safety
Method: observation, self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: gain skills in food preparation and food preservation
Indicator: 1/3 of participants learn and/or implement skills to prepare food for home consumption
Method: observation; self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: personal and family savings plans are implemented
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement a financial management plan
Method: self-evaluation
Timeline: throughout and after the program
Outcome: substance abuse decreases
Indicator: reduction in drug and alcohol usage rates
Method: analysis of KIP data
Timeline: over many years
Outcome: Youth practice safety procedures and environmental stewardship
Indicator: Accident and environmental measures
Method: Observation, verbal and written evaluations
Timeline: Yearly
Outcome: Kentuckians learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in their child’s healthy development.
Indicator: Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home.
Method: Laugh and Learn Play Dates Survey
Timeline: January - December
Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.
Indicator: How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?
Method: Stories, Songs, and Stretches Survey
Timeline: July - June
Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Russel County.
Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many parents reported improved gross motor skills, social-emotional skills, and early literacy skills?)
Method: Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Results Timeline: July- June
Audience: Youth
Activity/Project: Youth cooking programs
Content/Curriculum: KSF recipes; 4-H Cooking curricula
Inputs: volunteer leader, curricula, meeting space and cooking materials
Date: fall 2024 - Winter 2025
Activity/Project: Youth nutrition education
Content/Curriculum: 4-H core curricula
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, materials, snack items
Date: September - March
Activity/Project: Resiliency and mindfulness
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health and fitness curricula; Mind Matters resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: physical activity
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health core curriculum
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout program year
Activity/Project: money management
Content/Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H and FCS financial management resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: as requested
Activity/Project: hygiene
Content/Curriculum: 4-H Health curricula
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: during school year
Activity/Project: Substance Abuse Education
Content/Curriculum: Health Rocks curriculum
Inputs: participants, volunteer leaders, curriculum
Date: school year and/or summer day camp
Activity/Project: Farm Safety Day
Content/Curriculum: Various Topics
Inputs: Participants, volunteers and Progressive Ag Foundation
Date: Fall Yearly
Audience: Preschool-aged children and their parent(s)
Project or Activity: Various
Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates
Inputs: FCS Agent, Library, various
Date: During the School Year
Audience: Adults, young adults, and teens??
Project or Activity: Money Habitudes Workshop??
Content or Curriculum: Money Habitudes??
Inputs: FCS Agent, curriculum publications and resources, Money Habitudes cards??
Date: As needed/requested?
Project or Activity: Financial Education??
Content or Curriculum: Real Skills for Everyday Life??
Inputs: FCS Agents?
Date: As requested/ Needed??
Activity/Project: Youth cooking programs
Content/Curriculum: FCS/NEP Recipes/ Curricula
Inputs: volunteer leader, curricula, meeting space and cooking materials
Date: throughout program year (evenings, school visits, and day camps)
Activity/Project: LEAP Programming
Content/Curriculum: LEAP Programming
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, healthy snacks, community partners, Schools, SNAP-Ed Toolkits
Date: Monthly, school year
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, increased access (e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Super Star Chef
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), paid staff, grant funds, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Date: June– October/Growing seasons
Audience: Adult and Youth
Activity/Project: Food Preservation Programs
Content/Curriculum: Various
Inputs: participants, curriculum, incentive items
Date: April – October
Audience: Adults?
Activity: Sausage Making Course?
Curriculum: UK Provided?
Date: Fall and Spring yearly?
Activity/Project: Substance Abuse education
Content/Curriculum: FCS specialist information
Inputs: participants, curriculum, flyers, meeting space
Date: TBy Request, upon training completion
Activity/Project: Mental Health/Wellness Education
Content/Curriculum: FCS specialist information
Inputs: participants, curriculum, flyers, meeting space
Date: By Request, upon training completion
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
In July of this year, it became apparent that there was a gap in knowledge among adults regarding safe and healthy outdoor cooking practices, particularly with the use of cast iron cookware. Many outdoor enthusiasts were unfamiliar with the proper handling and maintenance of cast iron, as well as safe food preparation techniques. Additionally, there was a tendency to rely on processed foods, lacking awareness of how to create nutritious meals outdoors. The need to address food safety, healthy ea
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Empowering Communities Through Homesteading SkillsIn a time when sustainable living and self-sufficiency have become more important than ever, a dedicated group of community educators in Russell County has taken on the mission of teaching essential homesteading skills. Their goal is to empower individuals and families to live more sustainably and independently, while also emphasizing the importance of food safety and nutrition. This initiative brought together 65 participants, including 15 men,
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
In August, a Homesteading series aimed at fostering self-sufficiency in Russell County attracted 65 participants, including 15 men. With homesteading growing in popularity locally as residents seek sustainable and efficient ways to manage their homes and farms, the need for practical knowledge is more pressing than ever. The series offered hands-on classes in making breakfast sausage, starting sourdough, building rain barrels, canning meat, and container/herb gardening. Survey results revealed a
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
In a time when the demand for healthier, cost-effective food options is on the rise, a series of workshops on sourdough bread-making has sparked a growing interest across five counties. These workshops, which attracted a total of 95 participants, provided comprehensive training on the ancient art of sourdough baking, focusing on creating and maintaining a sourdough starter, the essentials of bread-baking, and critical food safety precautions.The workshops began by teaching participants how to cr
