Better Lives, Stronger Communities

OSU Extension family and consumer sciences (FCS) gives people the knowledge, skills and tools needed to make healthy, informed choices. We teach and promote safe food practices, better nutrition, better finances and better relationships – helping people acquire the knowledge and skills to make smart decisions in these areas.

Our family and consumer sciences professionals turn evidence-based, impartial, current research into useful information that can improve the quality of people’s lives. We work to make information accessible to all Ohioans.

You can count on FCS to provide reliable, evidence-based information to encourage – and empower – people to adopt practices and behaviors to improve their finances, build more positive relationships with friends and family, and embrace healthier, nutritious lifestyles.

In Hardin County, the FCS programming is often done in partnerships with other family/health/education organizations so to avoid duplication of efforts and to make a greater impact on the communities throughout the county.

In the Healthy People area, the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition conducts research efforts targeted at nutrition and physical activity for the county’s preschoolers and their families.  The Dining with Diabetes course is offered annually by a team of health and wellness professionals.  The summer’s Food Preservation Workshops reach out to a diverse mix of home food preservers and responds to the varied  reasons they have for learning to use safe methods to preserve their summer’s bounty.  The ServSafe  Managers  training is held annually in cooperation with the Health Department.  On-line Live Healthy, Live Well Challenges are offered so residents can have access to practical strategies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In the Healthy Finances area, Homebuyer Education and Money Management programming are offered by personal request or in small group settings.  Six week Money Matters sessions are held for the participants in the county’s Drug Recovery Court.  Real Money. Real World. is presented to eighth grade students in all the county schools.  

In the Healthy Relationships area, on-going parent education for residents is available from OSU Extension.  For parents and caregivers of young children, the weekly Goo Crew is conducted.  Active Parenting Now is a Children’s Trust Fund sponsored program available to parents of school aged children. Successful Co-Parenting is offered to all divorcing parents with minor children, in collaboration with the Common Pleas Court. 

FCS Extension also has on-going organizations where programming enhances the lives of individuals, families and communities.  These include:  Hardin County Homemakers Council, Hardin Leadership, Hardin Youth Leadership, and Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Hardin County.  Long standing relationships/partnerships with Kenton-Hardin Health Department, Hardin Memorial Hospital, Hardin County YMCA,   Hardin County WIC and Head Start, Mary Lou Johnson Hardin County District Library and all six county libraries, Hardin County, Hardin County Employees Wellness Program, and all six schools who have students from Hardin County, make program outreach dynamic and so effective. 

You can also learn more about all OSU Extension family and consumer sciences programs at http://fcs.osu.edu.


Extension has been helping all Ohioans build better lives, better businesses and better communities since 1914.