Home Economics & ICAN (Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition)
Our county's Extension home economics program helps strengthen family life. In a rapidly changing world, the challenges facing individuals and families in our county are great. With a problem solving philosophy, we strive to develop programs to deal with complex issues facing local families. We are helping people build leadership and other skills. We teach through group training sessions and local programs and community projects. We are dedicated to solving community needs, concerns and issues.
Food & Nutrition Education
The situation in Los Alamos County reflects the national and state situation outlined above. Although we are in an area where adequate health care is available, and a majority or residents have adequate health insurance there is a high demand for nutrition related health information. Individuals need information about the relationship between diet and health, meal planning and food preparation to enable them to put that information into practice. Although the incidence of Type II diabetes is not as prevalent in the county due to a lower population of Hispanic and Native Americans, there is still a need for information and awareness about the disease.
The Los Alamos County office strives to offer a variety of nutrition and exercise classes to the residents.
Consumer Education
Although Los Alamos County has the highest per capita income in the state, and only approximately 4% of the population is defined as low-income, there is still a need for financial information and education. The county has the highest housing costs in the state, and also the highest cost of living in the state, with the cost of living typically as uch as 10% above the national average. Although the challenges are not the same as with limited resource audiences, there is still a need for programs which address budgeting, financial management, savings, investment and retirement preparation. The success of the initial Women's Financial Information Program is indicative of the interest in and need for financial information. Discussion during that program reflected that "having financial resources" did not necessarily insure adequate knowledge with regard to finances, adequate communication about finances within families or adequate preparation for a financial future.