The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) infrastructure and subject matter expertise are well suited for harnessing the autonomy and self-sufficiency commonly found in rural communities to create healthier people and environments through policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches.  Similar to public health nutritionists, CES agents, specifically Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents and program assistants, are accustomed to providing direct education activities for individuals, families, and organizations related to health and nutrition. However, the capacity to deliver effective education programs differs from the skills, support, and resources required to successfully implement PSE strategies.

FCS Extension heavily utilizes the train-the-trainer model for program delivery to maximize program offerings and clientele reached, due to the limited number of Extension Specialists serving in the area of FCS. Traditionally, these trainings have been program-focused. In response to the need for new, diverse skillsets required for PSE work, Extension Specialists have been developing and implementing trainings that solely focus on capacity-building for PSE work to increase healthy eating and active living in rural communities. Over the past year, two unique opportunities for in-service training have been offered. Both of these training opportunities included an opportunity to action plan and leave with SMART goals and strategies to implement a PSE project in their community.

The first unique training opportunity was hosted in July 2019. A group of state-level Specialists from the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky offered a one-and-a-half day training in Clarksville, Tennessee. This training focused on understanding and implementing PSE strategies within rural communities to prevent and reduce obesity prevalence as a part of FCS programming. Twenty different speakers were incorporated into the itinerary of this training, which covered basics of PSE, examples from the field, evaluation, and overcoming barriers and challenges. Twenty-five agents from Kentucky attended this training.

The second training opportunity was a session incorporated into the annual FCS February 2020 In-Service training week. This three-hour session was offered in three locations across Kentucky and 35 FCS Extension Agents and professionals attended. This training was a condensed version of the event that took place the previous summer in Clarksville, Tennessee. Between the two events, 70 FCS Extension Agents and professionals received training about including PSE strategies into their traditional plan of work during the 2019-2020 year.

Feedback from both training's clearly demonstrated that FCS Extension Agents would like additional technical support and accountability for their county-level PSE work. In response to this needed resource, Extension Specialists at the University of Kentucky developed a calendar of three web-based training's held throughout 2020 that focus on specific barriers/challenges often faced when completing PSE work. The first of the three training's was held in May 2020 and focused on productive partnerships. This one-hour training provided an overview to keys for successful partnerships and tools to assess effectiveness of collaborative work. Sixty-four Extension professionals attended this training. The other web-based training's provided will be held in August and November 2020 and will focus on building active communities and leveraging/securing funds for environmental work.

PSE work within Cooperative Extension is critical for programmatic success in rural communities. Extension Specialists will continue to look for novel strategies to support Extension Agents doing this work at the county level. To date, one manuscript has been accepted and two more have been submitted that highlight the process and lessons learned from training Extension Agents to do PSE work focused on healthy eating and active living.