Author: Brittany Osborne
Major Program: Health
Learning to swim is a life-or-death skill, essential for every child. Formal swim lessons between ages 1 and 4 can help reduce the risk of drowning by 88% according to a study conducted in 2009. [1] Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4 and a leading cause for young people up to 14 years of age. (American Academy of Pediatrics)Providing youth with the ability to enhance and develop this life-or-death skill is of great importance for 4-H in McCra
The 4-H Backpack program was established fifteen years ago by McCracken County teenagers at a 4-H Issues Conference. Teens were to take an issue that impacted our community and find a way to make a difference. Many of our children in the City and County school systems are fortunate enough to have parents who are able to provide for them. Unfortunately, there are many who do their best to make ends meet and still need additional help. With Covid-19 sweeping the world in unp
Author: Leah VanMeter
Per the CDC, by the time students complete high school, 2/3 of students have tried alcohol and 1/2 report having ever used marijuana. According to the CDC, teen substance use can affect the growth and development of teen, specifically brain development, increases the odds of other risky behavior such as unprotected sex and dangerous driving, and can contribute to the development of chronic health issues as adults. The CDC also notes that early initiation of substance use increases the chan
Author: Laura Huffman
Unhealthy health statistics such as low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. To address this issue the Hart County 4-H Youth Development Agent and Family Consumer Science Agent partnered with the Healthy Hart Coalition to write a grant from the Healthy Communities Grant with the University of Kentucky. This is an adult/youth partnership grant to provide wellness opportunities in a community. The co
Author: Jennifer Cole
Like most agents across the bluegrass and country, we had to think outside the box when developing programs for this year. The need for parents to provide educational resources and activities for their distance learners was high. With the help of the Washington County 4-H agent, “Projects in a Box” were developed to not only enhance a child’s at-home learning experience, but to expose and introduce them to 4-H. Three different themes were offered: S.E.T., Embr
Author: Elijah Wilson
In an effort to increase the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables, the Cumberland County 4-H Program was awarded a $1000 grant from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation to support the Cumberland County 4-H Horticulture and Plant Science program and the Plant It, Grow It, Eat It Initiative. The funds are be used to incentivize youth to enroll in 4-H, and to try gardening, and eat more fruits and vegetables . The first 100 young people who enroll are provided with plants, soil analysis, seeds,
Author: Isaac Hilpp
2020 was a year that saw a substantial upheaval in our country and state. The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged our state and forced a shutdown of many of our traditional programs. It forced the 4-H program to reevaluate the delivery models of many of its programs as face-to-face delivery was no longer an option. During this same time period, the murder of Briana Taylor and George Floyd Sparked a renewed call for racial justice and social equality. During this critical time in which social unrest and ra
Author: Lloyd Saylor
We often are unaware of the positive impact 4-H is having on entire families. This spring, I was approached by a mom, her kids have participated in many programs, camps etc. over the past 15 years. She is employed in youth work as well. She told me "4-H save her son last year". Like many he was having difficulty adjusting to the COVID world. He was on some meds for depression, but things were getting worse. Unaware of this we, trying to do our jobs in the
Author: Brandon Darst
According to Kentucky Health News, Kentucky ranks 3rd in child obesity, a disease tied to a long list of other health issues; treatment requires changes in family lifestyle. On top of the growing rates of childhood obesity, families were forced to navigate through a pandemic. COVID-19 changed a lot of dynamics with families. Parents were reluctant to let their kids play outdoors in fear of them catching the virus. In an effort to get children in Madison County moving and conseq
Author: Ryan Farley
As the past year has shown, developing healthy habits within youth is more vital than ever. Whether it is healthy nutrition, mindfulness, emotional intelligence or physical activity, youth need to start early developing healthy lifestyle habits that they can carry on throughout their entire life. In an effort to address healthy habits within Woodford County youth, Woodford County 4-H developed a two-part series of workshops to expose and educate youth on choices they could make that would benefi
Author: Alexandria Brasher
According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults and build self-confidence through cooking. In order to address the growing concern about children not knowing how to prepare food safely led to the Henderson County 4-H program offering a two-day cooking camp involving UK Snap-Education resources, 4-H Curriculum, and a UK Poultry Specialist. This program
Author: Kelsey Chadwick
This year, Graves County 4-H has partnered with several organizations serving low-income and underserved populations in Graves County to offer Extension programming to youth outside the traditional 4-H audience. The 4-H Agent provided a STEM program to Big Grannie's Daycare Summer Care Program, Exploring 4-H and Home Envrionment virtual programs to CARDS After Hours 21st Century Program, Fashion Magic and Home Environment virtual programs to Mayfield High School LINKS Program, Christmas Assi
Author: Glenna Bentley
Summer Sensation Being healthy is very important and there are many ways to achieve this. Being physically active, eating right, and learning to reduce stress are some of the ways youth can build strong muscles, lower the risk of serious disease and illness, and lower their emotional stress. The past year was a difficult and stressful time for youth. Activities were limited for youth to participate in. The Lewis County Extension Office par
Author: Mollie Tichenor
During the pandemic Spencer County Extension Agents have had to pivot their programing, much like everyone else, to online platforms. This is so that we can still reach much needed audiences. Every Wednesday our program assistant demos a Kentucky Proud or SNAP recipe though our county extension Facebook page. Not only does she provide the recipe step by step with our audience, she gives them detailed cooking and safety instruction. Such as, knife safety, appliance safety, hand washing, and food
Author: Alexandria Bryant
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Fourteen (14) percent of Breckinridge County respondents identified fewer chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as a priority during the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 y
Author: Krista Perry
From the closing of schools in Spring 2020 to the late Fall, Franklin County saw an increase of crime and emergency room visits with adolescents, according to the Franklin County Sheriffs office and the Frankfort Regional Hospital. Most of the crime incidents and emergency room visits were related to drugs and alcohol, which led to the need and hosting of the Truth & Consequences program, virtually. The Truth & Consequences program is typically set up as scenarios to provide
Author: Paula McCuiston
Ready Set Run during Covid-19.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, obesity still remains at about 17% among our nation’s young people ranging in ages 2-19 years even though the rate of obesity in 2-5-year-olds has been on a downward slope. Because of local support and interest in this program, the Hickman County 4-H and FCS Agents teamed up to continue our fifth year of Ready Set Run Club despite the challenges due to COVID-19. Ready Set Run is m
Author: Jessica Morris
Encouraging outdoor activities and opportunities has been a focal point here at the Extension Office since the pandemic began. For the first time we scheduled activities for all age ranges of clientele to participate in to celebrate and take part in the longest day of play. Our day started with Sunrise Yoga at the Lake for 17 ladies. We then transitioned to holding a Color Fun Run/Walk at the Wolfe County Sports Complex where all participants walked or ran a 5K. We had roughly 40 participants in
