PROGRAM IMPACTS
4-H
Lyon County 4-H provides programs for youth ages 5 to 19 in five major communities in Lyon County. These programs offer more opportunities for achievement and activities outside of school for youth to develop mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally. 4-H programs encourage youth to become active and engaged in their community.
For the 2019-2020 4-H year, 4-H in Lyon County ran 8 clubs with 39 volunteers and 177 members and completed many activities despite being paused the last four months of the year with the Covid19 lockdown. The Lyon County 4-H Leaders Council raised over $2000 at the Lyon County Fair. The funds were used to award 3 scholarships in Lyon County to graduating seniors. The Fernley Little Critters held its 17th annual rabbit & cavy show. The show included 4-H youth and adults from around the county, state, and country. Fernley also hosted the Horse Judging Contest. Silver Springs hosted the Lyon County 4-H Awards, Horse Judging Clinic, and a Quality Assurance training.
SNAP-ED
PICK A BETTER SNACK
Pick A Better Snack is a health and nutrition program geared at second and third-grade students and is funded by the SNAP-ED program. The beginning of the 2019-2020 school year started off with a bang! Two of our Community-Based Instructors were in 6 Lyon County Elementary Schools with 44 classes of 2nd and 3rd grade students. They had a total of 995, unduplicated youth participants, that learned about where specific fruits and vegetables came from, and all of the vitamins and minerals that were in them to help keep their bodies strong and healthy. In addition, students were given opportunities to taste the various fruits and vegetables they studied each month. Students were also educated on playing hard each day for 60 minutes, and how physical activity impacts their growing bodies.
This year, the Community Based Instructors introduced the “Food Systems”, which illustrates how food moves from farm to plate. Each lesson involved worksheets, parent newsletters, and bingo cards. The bingo cards contained 25 activities that the kids were encouraged to do at home with their families. Incentive awards were handed out to the students who brought the cards back the next month. Unfortunately, the program was shelved in March due to COVID-19. Total people reached through this program were 2,567
SPAN-ET
The School Physical Activity and Nutrition Environment Tool (SPAN-ET) program is a whole-school evaluation tool that assesses the physical activity spaces and equipment, nutritional services, nutritional educational components, and wellness policies of schools receiving the SNAP-ED program in Lyon County. The purpose is to ascertain nutritional and physical activity possibilities at the school in order to evaluate the long-term impacts of the SNAP-ED programs. It has been adopted state-wide for use in Lyon, Washoe, Lincoln, and Clark Counties. One Lyon County School was assessed this year, and the process was begun to form a “Health and Wellness Committee” to guide and enhance health and nutrition education in schools.
Programs such as Pick A Better Snack and the SPAN-ET evaluation program are important to Lyon Community youth. Education and evaluation combined are a method to facilitate change
RADON MITIGATION
The Nevada Radon Education Program is a partnership with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. This program provides educational material to Nevada citizens regarding the health risk posed by elevated levels of radon in the home. Free test kits are provided to Nevadans during a promotional period once a year to assist in evaluating their radon potential. Radon is a radioactive gas that is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas, that can cause cancer, which occurs naturally in the soil in Nevada. Lyon County has an elevated potential risk in a large portion of the County. Testing homes for radon is the first step in preventing radon caused illness and mortality.
Extension in Lyon County participates in the radon program by distributing educational material and radon test kits in three major communities during radon awareness months. The City of Fernley and the Dayton Fire Department are collaborative partners with Extension to facilitate test kit distribution in outlying communities. There were 63 radon test kits distributed by Extension in Lyon County during the promotional period beginning in December 2019.
HORTICULTURE
Lyon County’s horticulture program provides science-based educational material and training to meet commercial and home horticulture needs. Lyon County Extension has a Master Gardener and ISA certified arborist to assist local residents with science-based educational material to meet their home horticulture needs. This program provided identification, diagnosis, landscape, and garden recommendations to 21 residents this past year. Due to the restrictions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Extension’s Grow Your Own Educational series, Master Gardener training, and Home Gardener certification program were provided virtually to participants.
Pesticide applicators’ workshops provided through the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) are also planned to be virtual this year. This program offers continuing education units (CEUs) for those professions that require applicators to recertify and training for individuals preparing to take the applicators pesticide certification test. Extension in Lyon County distributed training manuals to those who anticipate participating in the virtual training in the fall of 2020.
FISCAL YEAR 2019-2020
County Beginning Balance: $228,218
County Revenue: $146,499
County Expenses: $120,590
County Ending Balance: $254,126
