Extension
It Starts With Us
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
4-H, FCS, ANR, assistant(s)
Health
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: throughout program year (evenings and day camps)
Activity/Project: Youth nutrition education
Content/Curriculum: 4-H core curricula
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, materials, snack items
Date: September - July
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
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
In Kentucky, 12.9 million acres are utilized in formal farm operations (nass.usda.gov), with a growing usage of smaller properties being used to grow farm commodities. The Lake Cumberland area is largely rural and has seen an influx in a population wanting to utilize their property to grow their own crops, and then process them for personal consumption. Dehydration, a method of food preservation, is one of the oldest methods of preserving food that pulls out the moisture content of a product, th
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: LEAP
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) one of the best ways to help prevent the spread of illnesses, such as COVID-19 and the flu, is to wash your hands frequently, especially when in public spaces. The Russell County Public School system, Active Day, and Head Start programs in Russell County are areas of public space that have a high concentration of vulnerable audiences that may be more prone to the spreading of illness, which can have devasting consequences.The Russell County FCS
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Cook Wild Kentucky
In South Central Kentucky, food insecurity is a sad reality that many of Extension’s clients face. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Kentuckians face food insecurity. South Central Kentucky is also home to many native wild game species that are commonly harvested for alternate sources of protein. However, many clients in the area struggle to prepare wild game to make it palatable. Game meats are naturally low in fat and cholesterol, but traditional cooking methods, such as frying, can n
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Cook Wild Kentucky
In South Central Kentucky, food insecurity is a sad reality that many of Extension’s clients face. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Kentuckians face food insecurity. South Central Kentucky is also home to many native wild game species that are commonly harvested for alternate sources of protein. However, many clients in the area struggle to prepare wild game to make it palatable. Game meats are naturally low in fat and cholesterol, but traditional cooking methods, such as frying, can n
Author: Christina A. Martin
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Nutrition education and healthy lifestyles were identified by local leadership councils to be an educational priority for youth to help combat obesity crisis in the state. According to the Trust for America’s Healthy Survey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21%. Instructing children with the aspects of healthy nutritional choices at a young age is critical to addressing issues of weight. The
Author: Megan Gullett
Major Program: Financial Education - General
In the heart of Kentucky's Russell County, a transformative estate planning program unfolded over two enlightening evenings, leaving an indelible mark on 70 clients. Inviting specialists from the University of Kentucky, and a seasoned estate planning expert from Kentucky Farm Bureau, the initiative aimed to demystify the process and equip attendees with the knowledge needed to secure their legacies.For Kentucky, estate planning isn't just advisable—it's imperative, partic
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In the heart of rural Russell County, Kentucky, lies a community deeply rooted in agriculture. With fields stretching as far as the eye can see and families relying on farming for their livelihoods, safety in this environment is paramount. Recognizing the importance of educating the next generation on farm safety practices, Russell County hosts an annual Farm Safety Day. This event brings together 250 eager students and 50 dedicated adult volunteers to learn, share, and cultivate a culture of sa
