Health Update: USU Extension highlights youth programs, wellness work  – What Experts Say

Utah State University Extension’s Home and Community department has expanded youth programming, nutrition education and prevention initiatives in Grand County, according to an impact report presented to the Grand County Commission on Feb. 3.

Maria Jose Velasco Burgos, an Extension assistant professor with Utah State University Extension’s Home and Community department in Grand County, told commissioners the department works to reduce barriers preventing rural, low-income and multilingual families from participating in youth and health-related programs.

“Our biggest thing is meeting the community where they are,” Velasco said, adding that staff conduct outreach in schools and other community spaces rather than waiting for residents to visit the USU-Moab office.

The report, which summarizes work from late 2023 through early 2025, identifies youth development and leadership as a central focus of the department’s local efforts.

4-H is a youth development program focused on hands-on learning, leadership and skill-building through clubs, school partnerships and activities.

Velasco said approximately 170 youth have been formally enrolled in 4-H in Grand County from late 2023 through February, with Home and Community outreach accounting for more than 60% of those enrollments. She added that Home and Community programming has served more than 400 youth during that same period through family events, workshops and community-based activities, with that department typically serving about 200 youth per year through programs shaped by conversations with families about local needs.

Programs highlighted in the report include Teens Reaching Youth, a peer-led model in which youth learn a curriculum and teach it to other youth, and Pathways to Higher Education, which introduces students to college campuses and career options through visits, dorm stays and workshops with university departments. Velasco told commissioners more than 70 local youth have participated in career exploration programming.

Grand County youth have also presented nationally through 4-H leadership programming in Washington, D.C., Velasco said, noting students have presented two years in a row to roughly 1,500 peers and are scheduled to return the week of March 24.

The report also cites statewide recognition for local outreach efforts. Velasco said Grand County has received the Expanding the 4-H Audience Award through the Utah Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals in each of the past two years, with this year’s submission pending.

Heidi LeBlanc, the statewide director for USU Extension’s Home and Community department, told commissioners Velasco’s work has helped address accessibility challenges for Spanish-speaking families and others who previously struggled with enrollment forms. 

Velasco told The Times-Independent she wants Grand County residents to understand the department’s approach is “family-centered.”

“Our work strengthens families, builds leadership capacity, supports early career preparation, and promotes overall community wellbeing and stability,” she said. “By supporting families alongside youth, we contribute to long-term opportunity across Grand County.”

Nutrition and wellness programming is another major component of the department’s work. Velasco described Create Better Health as a program that teaches community members how to eat healthy on a limited budget and said the department recently added two community liaisons to expand outreach and build trust with families.

During the presentation, LeBlanc told commissioners a SNAP-Ed nutrition education component tied to Create Better Health had been cut after required federal funding was not continued beyond fiscal year 2025, prompting adjustments in some states and local programs. She said Create Better Health classes continue in Utah through other approaches.

Additional offerings include Cook Along with Diabetes, Strong Bodies and past dance-based fitness classes paired with nutrition education at the South Town Gym. The report also notes Moab received a Healthy Utah Community designation for 2024 through 2027, recognizing local efforts to improve nutrition, physical activity and wellness.

The report outlines regional youth prevention programming as well, including Be Epic: Escape the Vape, a Southeast Utah Health Department-funded initiative serving Grand, Emery and Carbon counties through teacher training, parent education, after-school programming and social media outreach focused on vaping risks. Velasco said the program served about 200 youth between 2024 and 2025.

Velasco also described CUBE — Connect, Unite, Build, Engage — as a statewide Extension program housed in Grand County that focuses on strengthening community connections through outreach and education. Related efforts include training and supporting community health workers, or CHWs, whom Velasco described as trusted community members who connect residents to services and pursue certification and career pathways in public health and social services.

Velasco said the department is conducting a needs assessment and seeks community feedback, noting USU Extension offers more than 150 programs statewide that can be brought to Grand County as needs arise.

Families interested in joining 4-H can contact new Grand County 4-H coordinator Isabel Lindsay at isabel.lindsay@usu.edu, while questions about Home and Community programming can be directed to Velasco at maria.velascoburgos@usu.edu.