2022 NEAFCS Regional and National Award Winners

• Captain Create YouTube Channel
• Team Members: Hiram Wigant, Jocelin Gibson and Kristi Strongo
• Program Description: Utah State University Extension Create Better Health (SNAP-Ed) Captain Create YouTube channel engages children with captivating videos about nutrition and physical activity.
• 1st Place Western Region Winner
• 1st Place National Winner

• Create Better Health Online Course
• Team Members: Heidi LeBlanc, Casey Coombs, Kristi Strongo and LaCee Jimenez
• Program Description: The USU Extension’s Create Better Health (SNAP-Ed) Online course is a thorough, cost-saving, and effective on-demand educational delivery option, shown to positively impact families in eating and physical activity behaviors.
• 1st Place Western Region Winner
• 1st Place National Winner

This award recognizes members who have been alert in recognizing emerging issues or new concerns and interests of families or individuals and have planned and implemented programs and involved people in planning and implementing programs that benefit families/individuals.

Andrea Schmutz & Team

• Empowering Financial Wellness Program
  
• Team Members: Amanda Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Lendel Narine, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Alicia Nelson-Bell and Lisa Cox
• Program Description: Recognizes members who have been alert in recognizing emerging issues or new concerns and interests of families or individuals and have planned and implemented programs and involved people in planning and implementing programs that benefit families/individuals.
  
• 1st Place Western Region Winner
• 3rd Place National Winner

This award recognizes excellence in curriculum development. Application includes teaching curriculum and supporting documents.

Ashley Yaugher & Team

• Community Opioid Education Dinner
• Team Members: Shane Bench, Sadie Wilde, Chapel Taylor-Olsen, Kandice Atisme-Bevins and Hailey Judd
• Program Description: Collaborative and innovative opioid education curriculum successfully targeted opioid overdose Utah hotspots to reduce stigma, increase awareness of local resources, and improve understanding of opioid use disorders. Results are promising.
• 1st Place Western Region Winner

This award recognizes innovation and accomplishments in the design and implementation of an FCS program.

Gabriela Murza

• Injury Prevention Programming for Master Gardeners
  
• Program Description: Gardening has physical and mental health benefits, but injuries can occur. Workshops were presented to Master Gardener Volunteers to teach gardening best practices to minimize pain and prevent injury.
• 1st Place Western Region Winner

This award recognizes innovative online social networking efforts.

Suzi Prevedel & Team

• USU Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative: Harm Reduction Campaign
• Team Members: Cris Meier, Gabi Murza, Claire Warnick, Wendi Pettett, Jennifer Peatross, Hilary Disch, Katie Zaman, Annabelle Potvin, Lily Ward, Gabriel Glissmeyer, Jameen Fitzgerald, Mercedis Zismer, Yvette Rea, Tyson Barrett, Cara Murray and Erin Fanning Madden
• Program Description: The goal of the Harm Reduction campaign is to reduce stigma towards evidence-based opioid addiction recovery. The campaign consists of brief statements starting with Harm Reduction and ending with opioid education.
• 1st Place Western Region Winner

This award recognizes outstanding FCS programming presented by a multi-disciplinary team.

Ashley Yaugher & Team

• BE EPIC: Escape the Vape
• Team Members: 
• Cris Meier, Christina Pay, Catherine Hansen, Ashley Butler, Cynthia Lyman, Jenna Hawks, Aspyn Benson, Josie Hatch and Jordyn Oman
• Program Description: 
• The USU Extension Be Epic Team is providing an evidence-based multicomponent e-cigarette prevention program targeting youth, parents, and teachers. Results demonstrate significant increases in knowledge and confidence across groups.
• 2nd Place Western Region Winner

This award recognizes NEAFCS members for their efforts in building community partnerships to meet the educational needs and/or concerns of families.

Heidi LeBlanc & Team

• Farmers Feeding Utah
• Team Members: Casey Coombs, LaCee Jimenez, Jocelin Gibson, Kristi Strongo, Marcia Gertge, Amalia Larson, Amria Farnsworth and Hiram Wigant.
• Program Description: Working with the Utah Farm Bureau and Farmers Feeding Utah, Utah State University Extension has engaged in innovative programming to improve food access and support local agriculture throughout Utah.
• 2nd Place Wester Region Winner

• Engaging Youth in Program Development
• Team Members: Christina Pay, Cindy Jenkins, Eva Timothy, Andrea Schmutz, Catherine Hansen, Lisa Schainker
• Program Description: USU Extension Faculty took a creative approach to resiliency by creating a curriculum designed to help youth build more confidence which is an underlying factor linked to resiliency. The team involved youth directly in the curriculum development process which allowed the youth to gain confidence while learning about confidence.
• 2nd Place Western Region Winner

• Utah State University Extension Finance Calendar
• Team Members: Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Lendel Narine, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, KristiLyn Wilkinson, Alicia Nelson-Bell, Olivia Yeip
• Program Description: The innovative 2021 Finance Calendar, created as a free download by USU Extension’s Empowering Financial Wellness team, improves financial resilience by providing manageable monthly steps to increase financial well-being.
• 2nd Place Western Region Winner