University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension professionals took home two awards during the 2022 National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences annual session in Raleigh, North Carolina Sept.12-15.  

Rachel Hance, Logan County family and consumer sciences extension agent, received the NEAFCS Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes members for leadership, outstanding program efforts, and personal and professional development and is the organization’s highest award.  

“I take much pride in the work that I do, and it means so much to be able to serve my community and to be rewarded for that service at the end of the day, makes it all worthwhile,” Hance said. 

Hance was recognized for her effort to improve school readiness through annual preschool events that aim to incentivize children to meet the kindergarten readiness standards and provide training resources for parents to help their children prepare for kindergarten. Hance said the events have provided resources for more than 500 children in the program’s six years. 

Nichole Huff, assistant extension professor and extension specialist for family finance and resource management in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and her team won the national first place and Southern Region first place NEAFCS Newsletter Communication Award at the conference. The award-winning newsletter team includes Huff; Jennifer Hunter, assistant director for family and consumer sciences extension; Kelly May, extension associate for family finance and resource management; Mindy McCulley, extension specialist for instructional support; Kelli Thompson, graphic designer; and Alyssa Simms, editor. 

The NEAFCS Newsletter Communication Award recognizes outstanding written communication through an educational newsletter for either a special educational effort or a regular extension program. The team was recognized for the MONEYWI$E financial management newsletter designed to promote personal and family financial literacy across the state and across all ages. 

“Our aim is to equip Kentuckians with the skills and resources necessary to strengthen financial literacy and promote financial resiliency,” Huff said. “Receiving national recognition for our programming affirms the high quality of financial education we offer Kentuckians through MONEYWI$E and its related financial initiatives.” 

Since launching in 2010, Huff said the newsletter has grown to reach about 80,000 Kentuckians per month through print with even more reach through social media. In addition to the newsletter, the MONEYWI$E team also hosts monthly financial episodes of the Talking FACS podcast with more than 33,000 unique listeners for the MONEYWI$E installments.  

For more information on UK Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, visit https://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/.