2021 NEAFCS Awards (State-level Winners)

This award recognizes innovative programs that promote and improve the health and wellness of families including, but not limited to, nutrition, fitness, family meals, meal planning, time or stress management, and healthy lifestyle.

Tasha Howard

• Ag Wellness for Producers and Families
• Program Description:The Ag Wellness program has created mental health literacy education for producers and their families with a more specific goal of saving lives in rural Utah. Through partnerships with multiple agencies, Extension faculty were able to create two online courses: one for producers and one for those who work with producers, two short presentations: one for youth and one for adults, and a podcast series, and a Facebook page.
• Team Members: Paige Wray, Callie Ward, Josh Dallin, Jacob Hadfield

Ashley Yaugher

• Community Opioid Education Dinner Curriculum
  
• 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.
• Team Members: Shane Bench, Sadie Wilde, Chapel Taylor-Olsen, Kandice Atisme-Bevins, Hailey Judd

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

• Empowering Financial Wellness Program
  
• Program Description: USU Extension’s Empowering Financial Wellness program successfully addresses the critical personal financial stresses exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among women, using an innovative approach through webinars and educational materials.
• Team Members: Amanda Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Lendel Narine, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Alicia Nelson-Bell, Lisa Cox

Recognizes outstanding FCS programming presented by a multi-disciplinary team.

• BE EPIC: Escape the Vape
  
• 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.
• Team Members: Cris Meier, Christina Pay, Catherine Hansen, Ashley Butler, Cynthia Lymna, Jenna Hawks, Aspyn Benson, Josie Hatch, Jordyn Oman

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.

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

Heidi LeBlanc

• Farmers Feeding Utah
• 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.
• Team Members: Casey Coombs, LaCee Jimenez, Jocelin Gibson, Kristi Strongo, Marcia Gertge, Amalia Larson, Amria Farnsworth, Hiram Wigant

Recognizes innovation and accomplishment in the design and implementation of an FCS program for a youth target audience (non-4-H audience).

Melanie Dabb

• Engaging Youth in Program Development
• 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.
• Team Members: Christina Pay, Cindy Jenkins, Eva Timothy, Andrea Schmutz, Catherine Hansen, Lisa Schainker

Award Description: Recognizes outstanding evidence-based nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions and projects for persons eligible for SNAP or low-income families, particularly those with young children.

Melanie Jewkes

• Create Better Health Online Course
• 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.
• Team Members: Heidi LeBlanc, Casey Coombs, Kristi Strongo, LaCee Jimenez

• USU Tribal and Rural Opioid Initiative: Harm Reduction Campaign
• 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.
• 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, Erin Fanning Madden

Encourages excellence in communications in nine categories, including educational publications.

Amanda Christensen

• Utah State University Extension Finance Calendar
• 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.
• Team Members: Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Lendel Narine, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, KristiLyn Wilkinson, Alica Nelson-Bell, Oliva Yeip

Encourages excellence in communications in nine categories, including educational television and/or video programming.

Heidi LeBlanc

• Captain Create YouTube Channel
• 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.
• Team Members: Hiram Wigant, Jocelin Gibson, Kristi Strongo