Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities in Breathitt County

Because Breathitt County has impaired waterways, advisory groups frequently list water-quality and solid-waste issues as top priorities. The Kentucky River Authority provided a grant to Breathitt County Cooperative Extension Service to conduct teacher training on watershed quality issues. With 127 students, the 4-H After School program covered watershed quality issues and conducted field trips to monitor a local stream. Students were interested in related art projects, resulting in a public art show themed around water quality. Student docents guided guests through the exhibit of watercolor paintings, pencil drawings, photography, and three-dimensional trash sculptures. Continuing this focus on water, an Earth Day after-school program educated thirty-five students on the water cycle and ground water.

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