Extension
It Starts With Us
Health & Wellness
22-23 Adopting Healthy Lifestyles
Catherine Webster, Jason Phillips
Health
Building Healthy Coalitions
Food Preparation and Preservation
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Health and wellness are concepts that apply to physical, financial and family well-being. Kentuckians are dying from heart disease & cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy. 71% of high school youth don’t get enough physical activity and physical activity only decreases as we age. The obesity epidemic, increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and lack of built environments are other factors that threaten the quality & years of life of Kentuckians. Families need assistance in gaining access to food, stretching food dollars, preparing healthy foods and building nurturing families. Communities that work together with other concerned citizens & organizations are much more likely to bring public awareness to important health issues. All of these topics were identified by the County Extension Council as program needs.
The overall well-being of families will be increased as they gain skills and abilities to provide for the nutritional, physical, and developmental needs of family members. Youth will maintain positive health habits and be competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of participating in 4-H Health programs.
Individuals, youth, and families:
• make healthy food choices & build skills related to selecting and/or preparing nutritious meals
• increase their level of physical activity and decrease their stress
• keep tract of health through timely screenings and visits to health care professionals
• the built environment (sidewalks) will be enhanced by grants, community input and the involvement of city & county governments
Initial Outcome:
Individuals, youth, and families:
• report making healthy food choices
• learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods
• gain knowledge about their personal health status
• will take advantage of opportunities to be screened for disease
• identify ways to improve physical fitness
• understand risky behaviors and their consequences
• aspire to have higher self-esteem
• identify healthy ways to handle stress
Outcome: Participants in SNAP Ed program identify healthy food choices and learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods.
Indicator : Family records and self-reporting
Method: SNAP materials and programs
Timeline: 2022-2023
Outcome: Families will prepare healthy meals
Indicator: Family records and self-reporting
Method: Evaluations via Email, Qualtrics
Timeline: 2022-2023
Outcome: Youth and Adults will adopt health lifestyle choices including food choices
Indicator: Youth and adults will report making healthy lifestyle choices with regards to food and health
Method: Follow up surveys
Timeline: 2022-2023
Audience: Homemaker Members
Project or Activity: Taking Care of Yourself, Medicine, Entertaining Little Ones
Content or Curriculum: Extension materials
Inputs: Agent led, train-the-trainer
Date: January -June 2023
Audience: 4-H Members
Project or Activity: Virtual Cooking Classes
Content:
Inputs: Community partners, staff, volunteers, 4-H & FCS foods curriculum, 4-H members, food and equipment
Date: October 2022-May 2023
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Freezer Meals, DIY Spice Blends & Herb Butters, Charcuterie Boards, Bread Making, Farmer Cheese
Content or Curriculum: Extension materials
Inputs: Agent led, train-the trainer for clubs, food and nutrition information
Date: July 2022 - April 2023
Audience: Families with young children
Project or Activity: Cooking with Your Kids
Content or Curriculum: Family Mealtime Curriculum
Inputs: Community Education, volunteer helpers, food and equipment, Culinary Kitchen at the High School
Date: October 2022-May 2023
Audience: Community members
Project or Activity: Get Healthy Simpson Coalition
Content or Curriculum: CEDIK materials, Leadership materials and Health and Wellness materials
Inputs: Community volunteers, money from grants, civic leaders
Date: 2022-2023
Audience: Snap recipients or candidates
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: Snap-Ed curriculum, LEAP, Plate it Up, Eat Plan Move
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District
Date: 2022-2023
Audience: 7th Grade
Project or Activity: STOP
Content or Curriculum: STOP Scenarios
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, Local Law Enforcement Agencies & Child Service Advocates
Date: December 2022
Audience: 6th Grade
Project or Activity: Health Rocks including the Youth Health Fair
Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, County Health Coalition
Date: November 2022-April 2023
Audience: General public
Project or Activity: Cook Wild and Wild Game Video Series
Content or Curriculum: Cook Wild recipes from UK
Inputs: UK approved recipes, Extension Agents, paid staff
Date: August 2022 - July 2023
Audience: 4th Grade
Project or Activity: Environmental Field Day
Content or Curriculum: 4th Grade KY Science Core Content
Inputs: Extension Agents, Community Park, KDA, Local Businesses/Organizations, Simpson Co. Farm Bureau Federation, School District
Date: April 2023
Author: Nancy Doyle
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership -FCS
It was discovered at a community health fair that there were children in Simpson County that did not have a bed to sleep in. Through collaboration of the Simpson County Extension Office, the Franklin-Simpson Leadership Alumni, Simpson County Schools Youth Service Center and the local high school shop class Build A Bed Project was founded in 2017. Because of Covid 19 and an FCS Vacancy, this project was at a standstill until January 2023. In January, the Simpson County FCS Exte
Author: Nancy Doyle
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The Simpson County Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Science Agent set up at the Franklin Simpson Chamber of Commerce Health Fair to promote Health and Wellness. A total of 150 people were present at the Fair where they answered questions on the prize wheel and sampled chocolate pumpkin snack cakes, showing nutritious alternatives for snacks. 100 percent of those who sampled the chocolate pumpkin snack cakes liked the snack muffin. One participant reported makin
Author: Catherine Webster
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9-12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, the Simpson County 4-H Youth Development offered several opportunities for youth to learn cooking skills this year. The 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Scien
Author: Nancy Doyle
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9-12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, this summer the Simpson County 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agents along with the Franklin-Simpson Schools Community Education Director prese
