-State Research and Extension is working on “Building a Culture of Health” through Policy, Systems and Environmental Change. What does that mean? Policy, systems and environmental change, or PSE, is a new way of thinking about how to effectively improve health in a community. While education can influence individual behavior choices, addressing environmental barriers and community conditions is a crucial aspect of supporting and encouraging healthy behavior change in communities.
This isn’t just about physical health, it is also social, emotional, financial, etc. In the agricultural world, issues that keep popping up are farm stress related to the economy and opioid addiction. So what is the Wildcat District doing to work toward a Culture of Health?
• Cooperative Extension is now one of the partners that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health.
• Wildcat FCS agents presented to our own faculty this month to bring awareness and start a conversation of PSE work.
• A series of critical community health conversations are taking place this spring. Wildcat FCS agents and recruited community partners will be present.
• We will be working on fostering a cross sector collaboration to improve the well-being of our communities by investing time in collaboration, improving the quality of our community partnerships, and policies that support collaboration.
Three out of the four Wildcat District counties rank in the bottom 10 for health rankings, meaning our communities are the unhealthiest in Kansas. Further stats can be found at: www.countyhealthrankings.org.
Keeping looking for the Wildcat District to increase involvement by, collaboration in programing and commit to making the Culture of Health come alive.
In other news. . .
• Stay Strong Stay Healthy has started in Fredonia once more – 13 signed up and 10 attending regularly.
• Radon article, radio and Adobe spark has created much buzz in the office. Questions have come in by phone, email and to the office.
• YEC – Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is set for March 5, 2018 in Labette County. All high schools in our county are invited. Five teams have committed to participating so far. I have secured the location and nine judges to help make the event run smoothly and efficiently.
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