The places and spaces in which people live, learn, work, and play have significant influence on the health of a community. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents and program assistants for the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service are trusted resources for providing direct education about health-promoting behaviors like nutritious diets and physical activity. To complement direct education interventions, policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions are needed to support change to social and physical environments that make healthier choices easier and more accessible for everyone.

A survey of FCS agents indicated PSE interventions are perceived as important but there is a gap in skills and resources to conduct and report such interventions. In response to this need, Extension Specialists Drs. Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Natalie Jones, and Courtney Luecking at the University of Kentucky developed a three-hour training and provided ongoing technical assistance during 2020. Training and technical assistance focused on building capacity through skills development and provision of support and resources required to successfully implement PSE interventions. During the annual FCS February 2020 In-Service training week, thirty-five FCS agents and professionals attended the introductory workshop. The interactive training incorporated a variety of methods to deliver and have individuals interact with content and each other to increase knowledge, skill, confidence, and to create a roadmap for initiating or continuing PSE work in their local communities.

Extension Specialists also offered three, web-based technical assistance calls throughout 2020. Calls were responsive to questions and challenges posed by agents during the introductory workshop and to provide time and space for peer learning. In May 2020, 87 agents from FCS and other program areas of Cooperative Extension attended the session about developing productive partnerships. In August 2020, 36 agents attended the session about strategies for building active communities. In November 2020, 19 agents attended the session about finding financial support for making PSE changes.

Finally, to address the gap in reporting PSE work, Extension Specialists created three new program indicators. In the first year of availability, 13 counties reported implementing 12 PSE changes in their communities to promote healthy eating and active living. Additionally, agents reported participating in 35 coalitions/organizations that have a goal of implementing PSE changes to promote healthy eating and active living and working with 28 organizations to implement changes.

Equipping FCS agents with skills and resources to initiate and sustain PSE interventions in their local communities will extend the reach of the impact of Cooperative Extension. Additionally, these longer-term, sustainable changes to the places and spaces in which people spend time will have the greatest potential impact on individuals’ health behaviors and overall health of the community. Extension Specialists plan to conduct a follow-up survey to evaluate changes in capacity to incorporate PSE interventions into programming and the utility of the technical assistance approach.