A team from the University of Kentucky has been selected to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Clinical Scholars leadership program to address children's health and education in Appalachia.

The UK team of five, which includes a dentist, dietitian, two nurse practitioners and a clinical psychologist, will receive $525,000 for their project "Coordinating Activities to Support Empowerment of Youth (CASEY) Health." The group is focusing on addressing a "wicked problem" in Appalachia by designing and evaluating a health education curriculum for elementary school children in Casey County, Kentucky.

UK's RWJF Clinical Scholars team includes:

• Julie Plasencia, assistant professor in the UK Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment;
• Craig Miller, professor of oral medicine and chief of UK Division of Oral Diagnosis, Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in the College of Dentistry;
• Audrey Darville, associate professor in the UK College of Nursing;
• Angela Grubbs, assistant professor in the UK College of Nursing; and
• Charles Carlson, professor in the UK Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

This diverse team of clinicians will develop and coordinate a program that empowers children, 8-12 years old, by communicating evidenced-based science, in an interactive format, to make healthy decisions. With the involvement of school officials, community members, education experts and local stakeholders, the team’s goal is to develop a freely available, 10-lesson curriculum that targets healthy decision-making, meets Kentucky Academic Standards and is used statewide.

The curriculum will cover five elements of health, including:

• preventing illness/injuries and risky behaviors;
• emphasizing the importance of oral health;
• abstaining from all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes);
• eating healthy/nutritious foods; and
• emphasizing the importance of physical activity.

"Our efforts are expected to yield improvements in health beliefs, knowledge and behaviors at the end of the project and for years to come," the team said.

The RWJF leadership programs connect leaders across the country — from every profession and field — to learn from and work with one another in creating more just and thriving communities. To learn more about Clinical Scholars and RWJF’s other leadership programs, visit www.clinical-scholars.org.