Extension
It Starts With Us
Family & Consumer Sciences Education - Improve Physical and Mental Health
Family & Consumer Sciences Education
Thompson, Rex, Stolz, Harney
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: 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: July-August 2021 and May-August 2022 (monthly)
Audience: Adults Individuals and Families
Project: Recipes w/Ronda
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Program, Faithful Families, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud and NEP resources.
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK FCS Specialists videos and resources
Date: October 6, 13, 20, 27, 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: Extension resource bags throughout the year—every other month
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Discover Extension 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: 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
Audience: Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service Staff
Project or Activity: Paws for Mental Health
Content or Activity: UK FCS publications, Pet Partners and Love on a Leash and HABRI resources
Inputs: FCS Agent, Horticulture Assistant, Pet Partners, Love on a Leash and various local pet organizations
Date: June 25, July 23, August 27, 2021 and fourth Friday of each month throughout 2022
Audience: Adults aging 60 years and older
Project or Activity: Bingocize
Content or Activity: Bingocize curriculum
Inputs: Bingocize curriculum, FCS Agent, agency coordinator
Date: Taught twice a week for 10 weeks
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Mental Health First Aid (Adult) Training
Content or Activity: Mental Health First Aid Curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, Boone County Extension Office
Date: September 21 and 22, 2021
Audience: Mentoring Plus Youth in Newport Summer Series
Project or Activity: Arts Extension, Music Appreciation
Content or Activity: MARK (Mind, Art, Recovery, KY) and Music, CEDIK resources
Input: FCS Agent, FCS Program Leader, CEDIK, and Mentoring Plus
Date: July 12, July 15, July 19, July 26, August 5, 2021
Audience: Mentoring Plus Youth in Newport Summer Series
Project or Activity: Yoga with Kate
Content or Activity: Yoga for Kids
Input: FCS Agent, Mentoring Plus Coordinator
Date: July 29, 2021
Audience: Campbell Ridge Elementary Students
Project or Activity: Yoga for Kids
Content or Activity: Yoga for Kids 4-H curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, 4-H Assistant, Family Resource Coordinator
Date: Fall 2021 (meet once a week for 6 weeks)
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS
In a Campbell County Key Informant Interview, Judge Karen Thomas, Campbell County District Court Judge, pointed out to Ronda Rex, Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences Education, the need for support for our youth living in substance use environments in Newport. Judge Thomas was extremely concerned about youth having a safe place where the youth could go and learn skills that would help empower them to “say NO” to substance use and propel them forward in life. She want
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS
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 three in 10 adults reported having symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder since May 2020 in the U.S. Thirty-five-point two percent of adult Kentuckians reported having symptoms of anxie
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
According to Acosta research, Reinventing How America Eats, “more than half of U.S. consumers have been eating at home more often since the coronavirus outbreak, which has brought challenges in shopping and meal planning.” The study found that 31% of consumers are now eating lunch at home every day versus 18% pre-COVID, and 33% are eating dinner at home daily versus 21% pre-COVID. And with eating at home brings more need for food preparation knowledge and recipe ideas.To
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS
The American Veterinary Medical Association defines the human-animal bond as “a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both.” The Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) states that “positive human-animal interaction appears to be related to changes in physiological variables both in humans and animals, particularly dogs. People are happier and he
Author: Ronda Rex
Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
According to Sewing Hobbies as a Stress Reliever Training, “arts and crafts can enhance health and well-being. Repetitive motions help the brain. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that there is a significant relationship between knitting, which is a hand stitching skill, and “feeling happy.” The effects of an art like hand embroidering is similar to meditation. The Disabled Solder’s Embroidery Industry was a project during World War
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
One in four Americans ages 65 years and older fall each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). In 2014, there were 8,164 fall-related inpatient hospitalizations for Kentucky residents ages 65+ (Kentucky Safety and Prevention Alignment Network, 2014). According to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center in Campbell County for seniors (age 65 +), the estimated emergency department visits to hospitals for unintentional falls from 2008-2012 was 30-40%.
Author: Kate Thompson
Major Program: Aging-General
In Kentucky, 75,000 people aged 65 years or older are living with Alzheimer’s, and that| number will continue to get larger with each year (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022). The financial hardship of Alzheimer’s cost $277 billion in 2018. Early detection for dementia is vital because it can provide a person a better chance of benefiting from treatment. Therefore, the Campbell County Extension Service collaborated with the Alzheimer’s Association to teach t
