Alabama Extension offers educational programs to help Alabamians be healthy, financially secure, and experience improved family relations. Our research-based information includes financial literacy; workforce development education; nutrition, diet, health, and wellness; and family and fatherhood relationships. These quality-of-life programs are offered in person and virtually, when possible. Our educational opportunities, most of which are free, build healthy people, strong families, and elevate communities. These efforts are affiliated with Human Sciences Extension in the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. For more information, email aceshse@auburn.edu.
- Develop Essential Knowledge and Skills
- Lead Better Lives
- Be Work and Career Ready
- Build Strong Families
- Make Meaningful Contributions to Our Communities
Contact your county Extension office for more information on how to participate in local programs or email aceshse@auburn.edu.
Prevention of Chronic Disease
Escape Vapes is a suite of programs for teens, parents, and adults and is designed to educate, prevent, and reduce the use of electronic cigarettes. The four-program offerings increase knowledge about the health risks of vaping and increase users’ confidence and ability to abstain. Programs available are (1) Escape Vapes: A Prevention Program, (2) Escape Vapes: Empowering Adults, (3) Escape Vapes: Healthy Futures, an Alternative to Suspension, and (4) NOT on Tobacco (N-O-T), a smoking cessation program.
Health Extension for Diabetes is an education and support program that connects participants to clinical resources through partnerships with Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. Through eight sessions, participants can improve their knowledge of diabetes, behaviors associated with diabetes management, and diabetes-related health outcomes.
Setting the Table for Healthy Eating is a two-lesson program to help participants understand how to use the nutrition facts label to make healthier choices when grocery shopping and eating away from home. Lesson topics include understanding the Nutrition Facts panel on food items and bringing nutrition into everyday life.
Cooking for a Lifetime of Cancer Prevention consists of two lessons to help participants understand and practice lifestyle guidelines for cancer prevention. Lessons emphasize nutrition recommendations to reduce cancer risk and the importance of screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer.
Color Me Healthy is an exciting media of color, music, and exploration of the senses to teach children to make wise food choices and that physical activity can be fun. The education stimulates all senses of young children ages 4 and 5: touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. This high-energy education is a favorite of young children.
Right Bite: Cooking School for Diabetes is a multilesson program to help participants learn meal planning and food preparation methods to reduce calories, control carbohydrates, modify fat, and increase fiber so those affected by diabetes can manage their blood glucose and blood pressure.
Emotional Well-Being
Master of Memory is a six-lesson series that encourages participants to recognize how they can impact and evaluate their memory function and find ways that may help address some of those factors. Participants can increase their confidence and readiness to take steps to improve memory functioning.
Mind Matters includes several lessons, brief activities, and resources to teach mindful strategies for reducing stress and promoting self-care and mental wellness to middle-school students. Mindfulness activities can be used to prevent violence, address chronic absenteeism, and build a culture of wellness among adolescents.
Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Certification helps child care providers support breast feeding families by becoming certified through a multilevel program of education with policy and environmental changes. A 2-hour training gives providers the knowledge to encourage breastfeeding families; each attendee receives two professional development hours honored and endorsed by the Department of Human Resources. All child care providers may apply for this free, 2-year certification. Breastfed babies are healthy babies.
Breastfeeding Education is an eight-lesson program designed for pregnant and early postpartum women and individuals in their support system. Lessons cover health during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and starting babies on solid foods. The sessions are interactive and include hands-on activities.
Safe Sleep Initiative is a project in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Alabama to reduce the number of sleep-related infant deaths in the state. Through a single lesson, caregivers learn the importance of safe sleep, particularly the importance of babies sleeping alone, on their back, and in a crib.
Financial Literacy
ALFAST is Alabama’s FAFSA Application Survival Toolkit that supports high school students and families in making informed choices about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The program is facilitated in partnership with local high school career coaches and counselors. It is endorsed by the Alabama Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education. Schools are invited to enroll for workshops during the upcoming academic school year by the summer.
iCare Kids serves fourth and fifth grade students in the classroom. The series aims to educate, enable, and empower youth to become financially responsible, develop their full leadership potential, and promote an understanding of philanthropic engagement. The fivelesson series topics include dreams, goals, money smart, philanthropy, and legacy.
Money Goals provides strategies and tools to help adults successfully manage personal finances. Topics include healthy habits regarding spending plans, credit, savings, and debt. Topics are to be taught as a series of three sessions, not provided as a single program.
WISE 101: Money Management helps participants acquire the financial capability to create a budget, save money, and manage debt. It can help people feel more confident about finances and plan for the short and long term. In this hour workshop, participants are guided through eight steps to create a personalized money management plan (or budget). Using the accompanying resource—a user-friendly money management calendar—as a guide, the participants are equipped with the skills needed to track expenses and income, develop a personal money plan (budget), manage their plan, and adjust for planned and unexpected expenses.
Money Smart for Adults provides must-have strategies to help adults successfully manage personal finances. Information includes spending plans, credit, savings, identity theft/scams, and banking. This course can be taught as a four- or five-program series or as single lessons.
Alabama Money Podcast launched in January 2023 with six episodes released by June 2023. Extension professionals discuss topics to help you create financial independence. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts. Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Digital and In-Person Parenting Education
Digital and In-Person Parenting EducationJust in Time Parenting Newsletter Visit JITP.info to view or download 40 newsletters covering the early years, prenatal to 5 years of age. Tips, information, and ideas for fun are presented by the national JITP team. You can subscribe to this free newsletter in English or Spanish.
24/7 Dad is a must to help fathers improve their parenting skills and become nurturing and supportive dads. Information is provided as a six-lesson series.
Tuning in to Kids Parenting Education is a six-session research-based program offering ways to understand and motivate children to develop emotional intelligence. Evidence shows behavioral improvements and more confidence. Fathers, mothers, and any caregiver or child care provider will learn effective communication and calming techniques. New in 2024: Facilitator Certification Training!
Fathering in 15 is a free online tool to help fathers build parenting skills.
Making life better for all Alabamians. | ACES.EDU/HUMANSCIENCES
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit aces.edu/directory or email aceshse@auburn.edu.
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Alabama Extension Human Sciences Team
Revised February 2024, Alabama Extension Human Sciences 2024 Program Guide, FCS-2500
