Healthy Homes and CommunitiesPlan of Work

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Bracken County CES

Title:
Healthy Homes and Communities
MAP:
Healthy Homes and Communities
Agents Involved:
FCS, 4H
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Natural Resources
Situation:

Each decision an individual makes has an impact on health and safety in the family, community, and environment. Preparing for emergency can be crucial to survival and safety. Understanding how daily choices can impact the environment is vital to conserving and preserving our natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for present and future generations. In 2013, Kentucky ranked 11th in total energy consumption.

Today’s youth spend less time outdoors than previous generations (Clemonts, 2004; Karsten, 2005; Carver et al., 2008) and are likely able to identify a Pokémon character more easily than a native plant or animal (Balmford et al., 2002). Every five years (since 1999) the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) conducts a survey to assess Kentuckian’s environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. According to KEEC’s 2015-2020 Environmental Education Master Plan (2015), “…the average Kentuckian is able to answer correctly slightly more than half of the environmental knowledge questions included on the survey. This result leaves ample room for improvement” (p 27). The Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program strives to increase environmental literacy among youth in Kentucky. The KEEC (2018) defines environmental literacy as “…the ability to recognize the components of healthy natural and man-made systems and the actions necessary to maintain, restore, or improve them” (p. 4) and states that environmental education is a pathway to environmental literacy (KEEC, 2018).




Long-Term Outcomes:

Participants will create safe homes within environments that promote and support the physical and mental well-being of families throughout the life cycle. They will improve the built and natural environment to increase active and healthy lifestyles.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Participants will apply the skills learned in educational activities related to disaster preparedness, pest management, going green, energy consumption, recycling, home safety, and built environment. They will assess the cost savings and/or benefits associated with these newly adopted practices.

Initial Outcomes:

Participants will change knowledge, opinions, skills, and/or aspirations in their understanding of issues related to disaster preparedness, pest management, going green, energy consumption, recycling, home safety, and built environment. They will identify one or more practices that will result in improvements in some of these areas.


Evaluation:

Long Term Outcome:  Families will utilize skills and practices gained to create safe homes within environments that promote and support the physical and mental well-being of families throughout the life cycle. Ultimately, they will improve the built and natural environment to increase active and healthy lifestyles.

Indicator: Participants create safer homes.

Method: Surveys and Evaluations

Timeline:  2 to 3 years

Long Term Outcomes

Intermediate Outcome:  Individuals will adopt short, and long term strategies related to energy conservation, pest management, or other healthy home practice, resulting in increased savings

Indicator:  50% of the participants will report a change in at least one behavior resulting in savings.

Method:  Evaluation

Timeline:  Follow up after intermediate evaluations and then 6

Months

Intermediate Outcomes

Outcome: Families and Individuals will increase knowledge about home safety, pest control, and recycling.

Indicator: Participants show increased knowledge. 

Method:  Evaluations

Timeline:  On-Going

Initial Outcomes



Learning Opportunities:

Project or Activity: General Public

                        Content or Curriculum: FCS Publications

Inputs: Health Dept, Emergency Management Kentucky Cancer Program 

                        Date: Spring 2021



                        Project or Activity: Extension Homemakers

                        Content or Curriculum: Leader Lessons

                        Inputs: Area FCS Agents

                        Date: Fall 2021



                        Project or Activity: Elementary Students

                        Content or Curriculum: Food and Kitchen Safety Information

                        Input: Soil Conservation, Health Dept, Local Schools, Local 

                        Doctors’ Offices

                        Date: Spring 2022


Project or Activity: Elementary Students

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Backyards and Beyond Club Leader Curriculum, Organizational Guide and Toolkit, and Explorers’ Journal; 4-H Exploring Your Environment Series; Leopold Education Project

                        Input: Soil Conservation,Local Schools, 

                        Date: Spring 2022


Project or Activity: Elementary & Middle School Students

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Water Lessons:

Healthy Water, Healthy People Educator’s Guide and Field Monitoring Guide; Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide; 4-H There’s No New Water; 4-H2O Ambassador Curriculum

                        Input: Soil Conservation,Local Schools, 

                        Date: Spring 2022








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Author: Shannon Smith

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

The COVID-19 Virus closed many businesses and placed a strain on health care providers worldwide creating a high demand for personal protection equipment for health care workers.  With such a demand on personal protection equipment, items such as isolation gowns were not available.  During this time, the Lewis County Extension Office was contacted by Primary Plus asking if we had anyone that could sew isolation gowns for their 9 offices in Lewis, Mason, Fleming, Bracken, Greenup, Carte

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Community Gardens

Author: Shannon Smith

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Community Gardens

The impacts of community gardens extend far beyond that of providing fresh vegetables to those involved. A sense of belonging, teamwork skills, stress reduction, and increased physical activity are all benefits of community garden programs. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on new changes and challenges to communities and extension programming. The biggest question is how we engage our community during a pandemic? Community gardens seemed to be the obvious answer with all the benefits surroundin

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