What do HHS Educators do?

Here is a sampling of our programs;

• Dining with Diabetes 

  Diabetes adversely impacts the lives of over 10 percent of adults in Indiana dealing with this chronic condition. People with diabetes may experience financial struggles due to higher healthcare costs and are at increased risk for developing long-term health problems. Dining with Diabetes is a cooking school that offers a practical approach to eating well for those with type 2 diabetes and their caregivers. The program consists of four sessions and a reunion. Program topics include:

  • planning meals and snacks with delicious and healthy recipes
  • cooking demonstrations and food sampling
  • motivation and support — connect with others who are living with diabetes
  • ideas for being more active
  • an understanding of how diabetes affects your overall health.
• ServSafe 

  Beginning in 2005, the Indiana Food Code required one individual per food service establishment to have food handler certification when inspected by the local Board of Health. 

  The Purdue Extension Educators provide the training and proctor the exam for food service employees to have food handler certification. Using the National Restaurant Association’s Serv Safe ® curriculum and partnering with the Indiana Restaurant Association hundreds of foodservice employees are certified or re-certified in food handler certification annually in Indiana. 

  Serv Safe ® training and certification sets the standard in food safety with the most up-to-date and relevant information. It brings together the current best practices to meet the industry’s changing needs. Participants in the training's stay engaged, retain the information better, and understand how to apply it. 

  The certification is valid for five (5) years and then must be renewed by successfully completing the certification exam.  

• Captain Cash is an interactive educations program designed to teach basic financial management skills to your students. This dynamic curriculum was designed to address the following issues: 
  • Money behaviors observed and learned in childhood impact adult behaviors.
  • Money management messages that children process in the home, the community, on television, and via other media shape their values, attitudes and future money habits.
  • Individuals and families are not able to respond to economic disruptions because they have not learned critical money management concepts and skills.

  To address these issues, Captain Cash includes four classroom enrichment sessions of approximately 45 minutes each that focus on earning, saving, spending, and borrowing money. Each session introduces vocabulary words and one or more basic economic concepts. Each session also includes a game or activity and a take-home handout. All lessons meet Indiana Academic Standards for math and social studies.

  Along with learning basic financial concepts, students learn and practice important life skills to foster self-sufficiency such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, managing resources, planning, and organizing.

• Where Does Your Money Go? 

  Do you know where your money goes? Most of us don’t. Where Does Your Money Go is a program designed to help you better understand how you spend your money. 

  Where Does Your Money Go? (WDYMG) is a program designed to help consumers better understand how they spend their money. Program activities include determining your spending priorities and habits as well as creating a spending-savings plan.

• I Am Moving I Am Learning 

  I Am Moving, I Am Learning (IMIL) is a fun, active training for caregivers of young children (birth to 5 years) to encourage children’s movement and healthy food choices each day.

  This training is available for child care providers, parents, or other caregivers of young children to encourage the use of movement activities to support children’s healthy development. Children can engage in fun physical activities, both indoors and outdoors, as they learn about being active and eating healthy, nutritious food. 

• Be Heart Smart 

  Your heart beats nearly 100,000 times a day. That’s 100,000 good reasons to take care of it. Purdue Extension’s Be Heart Smart program is combating heart disease—the #1 cause of death for men and women in Indiana. Designed to help adults prevent heart disease, this four-session program offers simple, practical changes to achieve a heart-healthy lifestyle. This program provides information about:

  • managing blood pressure and cholesterol;
  • increasing daily physical activity;
  • improving dietary choices;
  • managing stress;
  • talking to a healthcare provider, and more.

• Mental Health First Aid 

  Purdue Extension has a team of facilitators who are certified to teach this evidence-based program developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Mental Health First Aid teaches how to interact with and support someone who may be developing a mental health issue or experiencing a crisis.

  Mental Health First Aid participants:

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of several mental health issues.
  • Gain new perspectives about the stigma surrounding mental health struggles.
  • Learn how to start conversations with those at risk and to encourage them to seek help.
  • Understand how to connect someone with appropriate professional and community resources.
    
    

  Purdue Extension offers adult and youth Mental Health First Aid. The adult program is for adults who want to help other adults. The youth program is for adults who interact with elementary through high school-aged youth.

  Mental Health First Aid is open to any adult who is interested to learn. No prior training or specific education is needed, and all experiences are welcome. Recent participants have included concerned family members and friends, faith-based leaders, farmers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, school personnel, and veterinary providers.