Extension
It Starts With Us
Family and Consumer Sciences
Youth and Families
Abby Gray
Financial Education - General
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Family Development General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
The community needs assessment from both Mason County and Kentucky as well as the Mason CEC recognized youth and families as a top priority. They have asked for focus or improvement on more youth life skills training like money management, life decision making, etc., better youth and adult career readiness, more support for prevention of school violence and bullying, better family skills in reducing debt, increasing savings and financial planning, youth involvement and leadership, substance use, and media and technology education.
- 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.
- 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
- Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
- Improve academic success for children in Kentucky
- 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
- Practice one or more resource management behaviors resulting in increased savings or investments.
- Adopt financial planning strategies for short-, mid-, and long-term goals.
- 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
- Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
- Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Mason county
- Increase 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 of community services to caregivers
- 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
- Increased knowledge and skills related to managing financial resources, including savings, credit, and 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.
- Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & 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
- 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
- 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
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake
Indicator(s): Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions
Method: Self-report surveys
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management
Indicator(s): How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?
Method: Stories, Songs, and Stretches Survey
Timeline: Post program
Outcome: Increase skills and resources of caregivers to provide effective care for young relatives
Indicator(s): Several – (i.e. How many caregivers improve skills/knowledge in child development, discipline and guidance, legal issues, and advocacy)
Method: Parenting a Second Time Around (PASTA) Evaluation
Timeline: Post program evaluation
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
Dates: Spring 2024
Audience: Adults, young adults, and teens
Project or Activity: Financial classes
Content or Curriculum: The Good Credit Game
Inputs: FCS Agent, The Good Credit Game curriculum, publications and resources
Date: Winter 2023-24
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Weight the Reality Series
Content or Curriculum: Weight the Reality
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK research-based information, community partners
Date: Every spring
Audience: Families and Youth
Project or Activity: FitBlue
Content or Curriculum: FitBlue app and materials
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK specialist, UK research-based information, teachers
Date: Every fall
Audience: Children under 5
Project or Activity: Stories, Songs, and Stretches
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches
Inputs: FCS Agent, Head Start, preschool teachers
Date: Monthly during school year
Audience: Grandparents/Relatives raising grandchildren
Project or Activity: Support Group
Content or Curriculum: PASTA
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK specialist, FRYSC
Date: 2024
Audience: Children under 5
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: LEAP
Inputs: FCS Agent, Head Start, preschool teachers
Date: Monthly
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Cook Together, Eat Together
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK research-based information
Date: Every summer
Audience: 2nd graders
Project or Activity: Food Explorers
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipes
Inputs: FCS Agent, 2nd grade teachers
Date: Monthly during school year
Author: Abbigale Gray
Major Program: LEAP
The L.E.A.P program, in partnership with the local school, preschool, and head start, has made a significant impact on approximately 195 children by promoting healthy life habits. Through engaging activities such as reading fun books, providing nutritious snacks, and incorporating exercise games, the program aims to educate and empower children. With four visits completed out of the six planned, the children have shown enthusiasm and enjoyment in participating. The program has successfully foste
