Extension
It Starts With Us
Family & Consumer Sciences Education - Improve Physical and Mental Health
Family & Consumer Sciences Education
Thompson, Rex, Stolz, Turner, Walch, Bridewell, Kasirosafar, Garza
Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Cook Together, Eat Together
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. CES 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.
The recent statewide needs assessment identified substance use prevention and recovery as the most urgent priority for Cooperative Extension. Moreover, substance use was the focal point of the CES Advisory Council Meeting in early 2019. Taken together, youth KIP survey data and data from the CES needs assessment demonstrate the need to address substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities.
Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
Routinely meeting physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness (e.g. 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and consuming recommended daily fruits and vegetables)
Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
Changed public perception of substance use via stigma reduction.
Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful
Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
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
Reduced stigma from local community members
Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease
Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, and 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
Increased knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery (or related subject matter)
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers’ markets); dollar value of
vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets, number of pints of foods preserved through freezing and/or drying.
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Culinary Couch Potato Program
Content or Curriculum: Hands-on food demonstrations/adult participant cooking, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Victory Garden Toolkit, Super Star Chef and Cook Together, Eat Together, Tai Chi Curriculum, Arthritis Exercise Curriculum, Wildcat Way to Wellness
Inputs: FCS and Horticulture Agents, District Board Special Programs, Campbell County Extension facility, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Campbell County Farmers’ Market vendors
Date: Spring 2021
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health: Mommy & Me…in the Garden and Kitchen Program
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Program, Faithful Families, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, resources for early care and education settings, NEP resources-Plant, Eat, Move
Inputs: Programmatic materials (listed above), FCS Agent, Horticulture Technician, Master Gardener volunteer, Campbell County Fire Dept., Parents of children 6-8 years old, guest community chefs
Date: May-August 2021
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches-St John Lutheran Church Food Pantry Food Demonstrations
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Victory Garden Toolkit, Super Star Chef and Cook Together, Eat Together, NEP resources-Plant, Eat, Move
Inputs: FCS Agents, St John Lutheran Church Food Pantry (USDA Food Commodities Pantry)
Date: Ongoing food demonstrations throughout the year—every other month
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Garden to Table T.V. Shows
Content or Curriculum: U.K. FCS and Horticulture Publications, Health Bulletins, Cook Together, Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Faithful Families, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, NEP resources-Plant, Eat, Move
Inputs: FCS and Horticulture Agents, Campbell County Media Central T.V. Public Access, Campbell County Extension Educational Gardens and Agent Demonstration Kitchen
Date: Ongoing; every other month filming throughout the year
Audience: Individuals and Families who want to gain knowledge about Substance Use and who are Impacted by Addiction
Project or Activity: Extension Inclusion Series: 2020 Focus on Substance Use Training for Extension Staff, Leaders/Volunteers and Campbell County Community
Content or Curriculum: FCS Agent, Horticulture Agent, State Extension Specialist, Highland Height Police Department, Addition/Treatment Agencies and other Community Partners, UK Publications.
Input: Same as Content or Curriculum
Date: Fall 2020
Audience: Preschoolers
Project or Activity: Leap
Content or Activity: Leap curriculum
Inputs: Family and Consumer Sciences Agent and daycares/preschools
Date: Monthly during the school year
Audience: Preschoolers
Project or Activity: Stories, Songs and Stretches
Content or Activity: Stories, Songs and Stretches curriculum
Inputs: Family and Consumer Sciences Agent and daycares/preschools
Date: Monthly during the school year
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Kentuckians are experiencing an increased trend of chronic disease and obesity. With a population of 92,488, Campbell County’s obesity rate is 31%, and 28% are physically inactive (US Census Bureau). “Good nutrition, physical activity, and a healthy body weight are essential parts of a person’s overall health and well-being. Together, these can help decrease a person’s risk of developing serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Aging-General
According to the Mayo Clinic, "a distraction can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. Doing something positive to manage anxiety is a healthy coping strategy." The Center for Disease Control states that "stress during an infectious disease outbreak can sometimes cause the following:Fear and worry about your health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of essential support services.
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Aging-General
Click this link for video: http://campbellmedia.org/video/13828/ Regular physical activity is extremely important for the aging adult. Scientific studies have proven that exercise can help prevent or manage chronic diseases, improve cognitive functions, decrease falls, and improve one’s mental health (Centers for Disease Control). Thirty-two percent of Kentuckians are physically inactive; specifically, in Campbell County, 28% of adults are not physically active
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Financial Education - General
Through a continued effort to maintain Campbell County community involvement with Cooperative Extension programming during the pandemic, Ronda Rex created a two-part program to assist people with mental health support. This was done by both teaching embroidery skills, practicing and adopting those skills and by developing new community leadership skills in an existing leader. The embroidery classes were conducted via Zoom to twelve participants. The classes focused on teaching
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Mental health has always been an important part of one’s overall health, but unfortunately, often a taboo subject. The need for mental health awareness and education is expected to increase due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. According to the CDC, during the pandemic, more than 3 in 10 adults reported having symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder since May 2020 in the U.S. 35.2% of adult Kentuckians reported having symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorde
