Success Story 4-1-2020 “Extension on the Move”

Extension programming has been suddenly required to shift from face-to-face contact with clientele to a mostly digital communication platform due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Greenup County office has made significant changes to the way in which we connect with our community. While we have embraced the technology that allows us to connect with people using the internet, we recognize that not all of our Extension program consumers have the capability or the desire to use technology every day in their home lives.  As an office team, we are striving to keep our current clientele connected to our programming efforts while continuing to reach out to new Extension users. 

As an office team, we have implemented the “Extension on the Move” program that is made available to the public in hard copy format. This program is made up of information and activity packets that represent all four of our program areas in Greenup County: Agriculture/Natural Resources, Family & Consumer Science, 4-H Youth Development, and Fine Arts. Each activity/lesson has components for youth, adults, and things that families can do together while they are being “healthy at home”. Our goal is to identify areas of our programming that can reach out using a digital platform such as videos and social media while keeping traditional educational practices going in ways that make people feel comfortable, creative, and connected. 

The Fine Arts program has contributed information about creative activities that families can do together as well as ideas for personal creativity specific to adults. Examples are: prompts and activities from the national organizations "Artwork Archive" and University of Florida Arts in Medicine. I also included educational projects from past poetry projects and designed a coloring book that represents all program areas in our office with a feature of Kentucky history.