To evaluate content and face validity of a collaboration readiness assessment tool developed to facilitate collaborative efforts to implement policy, systems, and environment changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). Evaluation of the validity of the tool involved 2 steps. Step 1 was conducted with 4 subject matter experts to evaluate content validity. Step 2 used an iterative cognitive testing process with 4 rounds and 16 SNAP-Ed staff and community partners to evaluate face validity. Subject matter experts found that survey items appropriately matched the content area indicated and adequately covered collective efficacy, change efficacy, and readiness. Cognitive testing with SNAP-Ed staff and partners informed modifications and resulted in adequate face validity. The ability to measure collaboration readiness will allow agencies and community partners that implement SNAP-Ed to target areas that facilitate collaboration efforts needed for policy, sys...

This leadership curriculum was developed by 4-H Youth Developement agents with University of Kentucky specialists. Examples in the guide are geared toward an 4-H audience. This guide may be reproduced or modified for educational or training purposes and used with other audiences.

Extension educators can serve as a catalyst to engage rural older adults to build community awareness and support healthy lifestyle choices. The study reported investigated rural elders' views of the supports and challenges for physical activity through the community-based participatory process. Older adults photographed their community to collectively assess issues they faced in maintaining active lifestyles. Elders identified and reported aspects of personal and community choice that serve to act as supports or barriers for their physical activity. Elders' engagement in community issues identification can serve to promote positive health behavior practices throughout the lifecycle.

As the use of social media increases, Extension is challenged to stay relevant with cliental by using digital tools. This article illustrates how Facebook can be part of Extension's repertoire of methods for communication, program implementation, education, and marketing. This allows professionals to build social networking capacity with their cliental online and transfer that social capital to the off-line world. The capacity of Facebook users to develop Groups and Pages allows those with specific interests to connect for education, sharing, and socialization. Extension professionals should consider the opportunities provided by Facebook and how it can affect their program delivery.

A Health in All Policies approach engages cross-sector stakeholders to collaboratively improve systems that drive population health. We, the members of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP)’s Health in All Policies Action Team, propose that adopting a Health in All Policies approach within the national Cooperative Extension System will better prepare us to contribute meaningfully to improving the nation’s health. We first explain the Health in All Policies approach and argue for why and how it is relevant for Extension. We then present insights gathered from Extension Family and Consumer Sciences program leaders and state specialists to assess whether national and state leadership are poised to adopt a Health in All Policies approach within their affiliated programs. Although participant leaders saw the value of the approach in contributing to population health improvement, they generally saw the Extension system as having lower levels of readiness to adopt such ...

programming through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). EFNEP is a federally funded program that works to improve the quality of life of families living in poverty through education and behavior modifi cation. The EFNEP program uses a community-based outreach approach where food and nutrition educational content is taught by peer educators to provide experientially-based programming on making quality food choices. In this article, the authors look at the characteristics of a high poverty, Appalachian region of Kentucky and the impact of the EFNEP program outreach to local families as compared to state and national impact data.

The history of family and consumer sciences (FCS) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is discussed with an emphasis on the critical importance of the human dimension. EFNEP's focus on people, education for change, accountability, strategic partnerships, and public value are highlighted as an example and model for Extension and FCS programs in general. Future FCS success and sustainability depends on ensuring continued attention to the human dimension, while also addressing workforce, societal, and technological developments. The Foundation of Family and Consumer Sciences The current family and consumer sciences (FCS) paradigm emphasizes interactions and influencers within individual, family, and community systems. A human dimension is integral to the social, physical, emotional, environmental, and economic elements of these systems. FCS professionals are unique in that they personally connect these systems through

Service learning (SL) is a well-recognized teaching approach that integrates meaningful community service with classroom learning. Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud is a successful SL activity that connects student and faculty expertise with Family & Consumer Science (FCS) Extension agent programming. Students develop and test quality, nutritionally-sound, recipes using locally grown fruits and vegetables. Student interest in the project and knowledge of FCS Extension were significantly enhanced during the course of the semester. As well, 99% of students would recommend this project to a peer. On a scale of 1-7 (7=incredibly important), students rank the importance of real-life applications in coursework as 6.31 ± 0.97; 35% of students would take a section of a course just because it incorporates such applications. Students developed their nutrition knowledge, team building skills and communication skills through the project. Agents also positively reflected on this collaboration with 100...