Virginia Cooperative Extension Advancing Well-Being

Our Mission

At Virginia Cooperative Extension our purpose is to advance the well-being of all Virginians. We are made up of Virginia Tech and Virginia State University faculty and staff who address community needs and build on community assets. Our commitment to finding real solutions for our communities is showcased through a variety of initiatives that impact community health.

Our Approach

Virginia Cooperative Extension takes a non-clinical approach to improve community health, prevent disease, and reduce health disparities, recognizing that health outcomes are largely influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors. We aim to address the vital conditions of health and well-being by 1) providing evidence-based educational programs, and 2) by facilitating community engaged partnerships that will harness our collective power to breakdown social, economic, and environmental barriers to health.

Our People

• 7 academic specialists with expertise in health promotion and disease prevention
• 3 specialized agents forging regional community health partnerships
• 44 local agents providing their communities with resources, training, and education to advance well-being
• 14 cross-disciplinary program teams addressing the vital conditions for well-being

Addressing Barriers to Health

We serve local communities by breaking down social, economic, and environmental barriers to health.

We bridge social barriers through volunteer development and civic engagement, empowering families and positive youth development, and building collaborative healthcare partnerships.

We bridge environmental barriers through natural resource management and literacy, strengthening food systems and farmers, and household water quality services and education.

We bridge economic barriers by offering family finance education, financial literacy programs, and housing counseling and energy management.

Providing Health Education

We offer a variety of health education programs including: Balanced Living with Diabetes, Mental Health First Aid, Family Nutrition Programs, Lifetime Improvements through Fitness Together, Botvin Lifeskills®, Flourishing in the Garden, Master Food Volunteers, Chronic Disease Self-Management, Dealing with Dementia, 4H Healthy Living, ServSafe®, Diabetes Prevention Program, and Vaccine Ambassadors. All our health education programs are evidence-based. Our local agents can provide information about which programs are being offered in your area. You can also find our programs on the Unite Us platform.

Adult Education

Virginia Cooperative Extension is advancing the well-being of all Virginians by providing evidence–based educational programs for adults that improve community health. Details about each individual program are offered below. Contact your local extension office to learn which programs are being offered in your area.

• Balanced Living with Diabetes- 6–session program to take control of your diabetes. Learn how to manage diabetes in a supportive environment where you will practice choosing healthy foods and being more active. Lower your A1c blood sugar levels and stay in touch with a class reunion
• Vaccine Ambassadors- 10-hour training for volunteers to learn about the science of immunizations, current issues surrounding vaccines and how to improve access to vaccinations in your community.
• Dealing with Dementia- 4-hour supportive workshop to help caregivers navigate the unique challenges of caring for someone with dementia. Learn how to manage problem behaviors, handle stress, and leave with a better understanding of dementia.
• Chronic Disease Self-Management- 6–week program for adults living with chronic conditions to build a toolbox of strategies that will help them lead a fuller life. Strategies are useful for a variety of conditions like arthritis, depression, heart disease, cancer, and more.
• Family Nutrition Program- A variety of programs empowering adults to take charge of their health by teaching skills like cooking, healthy eating, managing a food budget, and living an active lifestyle. Initiatives also improve access to affordable, nutritious foods through partnerships with food retailers, food pantries, farmers markets, and gardens.
• Diabetes Prevention Program- A 12 month, 22-session lifestyle change program and support group for those who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
• Prediabetes can be reversed! Find the support and encouragement you need to reduce your risk.
• Mental Health First Aid- 8-hour training certification to learn how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children ages 12-18 or among adults in the workplace.
• Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together (LIFT)- 8-week strength, flexibility, and balance program that promotes mindful movement. Helps aging adults improve strength and mobility, reduce risk of falls, and improve overall quality of life in a way that is fun, connected, and upLIFTing!
• ServSafe® Retail Food Courses- 4-hour food handler course for adults who are employees at VA food establishments. The Certified Food Protection Manager is an 8-hour course for food employees with supervisory responsibilities. Passing score on final exam is required.
• Master Food Volunteers- A volunteer program with 20-30 hours of annual service for adults who are passionate about healthy lifestyles, food safety, food preservation, and cooking. Initial onboarding includes an 8-week training course. Make a difference in your community!

Youth Education

Virginia Cooperative Extension is advancing the well-being of all Virginians by providing evidence–based educational programs for youth that improve community health. Details about each individual program are offered below. Contact your local extension office to learn which programs are being offered in your area.

• 4H Healthy Living- A variety of programs that help youth learn to manage their social-emotional wellbeing. Includes four signature programs: 4H Yoga, Get Experience in Mindfulness (GEM), Your Feelings Matter (YFM), and Your Thoughts Matter (YTM). 4H Yoga combines movement with breathing to strengthen the mind and body. GEM contains 5 lessons that emphasize stress management and mindfulness for ages 10 & up. YFM and YTM provide workbooks with a series of activities that teach youth about emotions and mental health.
• Botvin LifeSkills® Training- A program developed to help strengthen caretaker/children relationships and to prevent substance abuse and violence among youth. Promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior. Curricula are available for grades 3-10 and the number of sessions vary by age group.
• Teen Cuisine- 6-week cooking program that teaches nutrition and healthy eating through culinary skills. Program is intended for youth in grades 6-12.
• Flourishing in the Garden- 7-week garden-based youth program that provides a holistic approach to mind-body-land. Incorporates gardening, nutrition education, and mindfulness through permaculture and yoga principles. Focuses on experiential learning through cooking and practicing yoga together.
• Family Nutrition Program- A variety of curricula empowering youth to take charge of their health. Programs teach skills like cooking, healthy eating, and living an active lifestyle. Initiatives focus on partnering with schools and after school programs to train teachers on nutrition curricula and to improve access to affordable, nutritious foods in schools.

Virginia Cooperative Extension seeks to offer our health education programs for adults and youth in partnership with community-based organizations. Our impact is stronger together! We have experience partnering with a wide variety of community-based organizations like libraries, senior centers, workplaces, housing communities, health organizations, recreation centers, schools, and faith-based organizations.

2023 Impacts

Preventing & Managing Chronic Disease

Virginia Cooperative Extension positively impacts the health of our communities by providing evidence-based programs that teach adults how to prevent and manage chronic diseases, like diabetes. Three signature programs are offered in partnership with the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice and Research.

1. Balanced Living with Diabetes
2. Diabetes Prevention Program
3. Living Well with Chronic Conditions

In 2023, one-third of Balanced Living with Diabetes adults reduced their A1c blood sugar levels below 7%, 110 adults graduated from the Diabetes Prevention Program, and 95% reported they better understood how to manage symptoms of their chronic condition.

Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles

Virginia Cooperative Extension provides evidence-based programs on nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and food preservation to encourage healthy lifestyles for all Virginians. We take a community-engaged approach by implementing programs in tandem with community partners and by training volunteer educators.

Nutrition and physical activity programs include:

1. Family Nutrition Program
2. Fun, Family, Fitness (FitX)
3. Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together (LIFT)
4. Flourishing in the Garden (FiG)

Food Safety and preservation programs include:

1. Master Food Volunteers
2. ServSafe® Retail Food Courses
3. Single Session Education on various topics (Food Preservation, Food Allergen Awareness, Cooking for Crowds)

In 2023, 1,867 adults participated in food safety and preservation courses, 12,305 youth participated in nutrition education through the Family Nutrition Program, and Master Food Volunteers completed 775 hours of community service. “Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles” 2023 impacts are further captured in three success stories as follows.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Success Stories

Flourishing in the Garden (FiG) is a new evidence-based, holistic wellbeing program that reflects the 4H Youth Thrive Model to develop healthy, resilient, and thriving youth. The 7- week garden-based youth program incorporates nutrition education, mindfulness, and cooking experiences through experiential learning. VCE professionals piloted the FiG program during summer 2023 with youth living in a subsidized housing community in York County, VA. A program assistant implemented the program along with the local ANR agent. They delivered the program to 20 youth ranging in age from grades K-7. The majority of participants were Black or African American (90%) and in grades 5-7 (60%). Youth who participated in the program decreased their soda consumption, increased the likelihood of choosing fruit as a snack, and increased their likelihood to read Nutrition Facts labels. One youth also shared that he struggled with anger and focus during school, but that the box breathing exercises he learned during the FiG program helped him manage his anger in a productive way.

Virginia SNAP-Ed has initiated a partnership with the Foodbank Federation of Virginia to launch the healthy pantry initiative starting in FY2024. The first steps of this partnership include Virginia SNAP-Ed providing technical assistance and training to participating pantries. The trainings will be housed on a Learning Management System called Acorn that will be available statewide to help pantries implement 20 best practices identified through the healthy pantry initiative. Virginia SNAP-Ed is a central member of the Foodbank Federation of Virginia, Education Committee that is responsible for creating recorded trainings. Three trainings were recorded in 2023 and a pilot to test the first trainings was planned for December 2023, in partnership with James Madison University. Virginia SNAP- Ed will also assist with the evaluation of food pantry survey data as part of the partnership. The data will be used to measure the change in the number of healthy pantry practices adopted as well as the positive health impacts of these practices on pantry neighbors.

Food Safety and Preservation Success Story

The Master Food Volunteer (MFV) program was first implemented by VCE in 2009 and requires adults to complete an in-depth 30-hour curriculum training prior to becoming an active volunteer. MFV are trained on how to make healthy food choices, how to increase physical activity, and how to prepare healthy affordable foods. After completing 30 hours of required training, MFV may offer programs to their communities virtually or in-person at healthcare facilities, farmers markets, schools, and community centers. During 2023, several programs were offered by MFV in Mecklenburg County, VA on a variety of health- related topics like cooking for kidney health, eating for your eyes, supporting a healthy thyroid, and more. Across the Commonwealth, forty-four (44) active MFV reported 775 hours of service and reached over 2,200 direct contacts in 2023. The hours dedicated by MFV in 2023 are equivalent to approximately $25,000 worth of service to Virginians.

Promoting Social-Emotional Health

Virginia Cooperative Extension positively impacts the health of our communities by providing evidence-based programs that promote social-emotional well-being. All programs are offered in partnership with the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice and Research. The Virginia Cooperative Extension, Collaborative Opioid Prevention Education (COPE) team currently implements Mental Health First Aid and Botvin LifeSkills® curricula to address social-emotional well-being. Two signature programs are offered in partnership with the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice and Research.

1. Botvin LifeSkills® Training
2. Mental Health First Aid

In 2023, 2,310 youth completed Botvin LifeSkills® Training in church or school, 195 parents who are currently incarcerated completed Botvin Parent education, and 295 individuals were trained in Mental Health First Aid for youth or adults. Those who were trained in Mental Health First Aid work for a variety of community organizations: 4 schools, 6 community health organizations, 2 mental wellness organizations, and 2 state agencies.