Home & Family
Helping people lead healthier lives, become more financially secure, and have better relationships with their families.
Making Life Better for All Alabamians
Our Strengths
- Timely, relevant, and science-based programming delivered to individuals across the life-span
- Partnerships that, when leveraged, increase reach and impact
- Extension professionals as trusted messengers who can bring about positive change
Our Programs
Human Sciences Extension helps people develop essential knowledge and skills to lead better lives, be work and career ready, build strong families, and make meaningful contributions to our communities.
- 13 Human Sciences Extension professionals
- 14 Statewide programs and initiatives
- 7 Peer-reviewed scholarly products
- 5 Television appearances
- 11 News stories
- 9 M+ Unique viewers of HSE materials
Healthy People
Escape Vapes
Increasingly, middle and high school students are using electronic cigarettes at an alarming rate. In response to this issue, Escape Vapes was developed to curb and prevent adolescent use of e-cigarettes. The effectiveness of the program was evident in 2023 among 2,625 youths in 18 counties. In addition to the youth education program, Escape Vapes: Empowering Adults was offered. It is one of the few vaping education programs for adults. It equips adults with knowledge that can help decrease youth usage and manage vaping-related issues through the lens
of addiction rather than delinquency. Meaningful outcomes were observed in 2023 among 238 adult participants.
- 88% of adult participants report they would discuss vaping risks with their children or those close to them.
- 85% of students said that they are unlikely to vape in the future.
Strong Families
Reducing Parental Stress & Enhancing Parenting Skills
Alabama Extension is the national host of Just in Time Parenting, reaching 16,000 subscribers nationwide. We offer 40 parenting newsletters in both English and Spanish. These newsletters have valuable information on child development from prenatal to age 5. They cover topics including child development milestones, helpful tips for success, family support suggestions, and nutrition guidance. The newsletters offer evidence-based information to support families in effectively managing challenging situations and minimizing harmful stress reactions.
- 40 Parenting newsletters in English and Spanish
- 67K Just in Time Parenting website visitors
Elevated Communities
Strengthening Alabama’s Workforce
In 2018, Alabama adopted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) high school graduation policy to support the governor’s workforce goals and October as FAFSA Completion Month. Career FAST: Financial Aid Survival Toolkit is the first statewide Extension curriculum designed to increase FAFSA awareness and decision-making. In 2023, a multistate team of Extension professionals explored options to expand as a nationwide initiative. Expansion will broaden the reach of Extension, supporting educators, high school students, and families in making informed FAFSA decisions.
- Extension professionals trained 100+ high school counselors and community educators on critical changes to the FAFSA process.
- Career FAST training was delivered in all regions of the state.
Connect with Us!
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit aces.edu/directory or email aceshse@auburn.edu.
Follow us on Facebook @AlabamaHumanSciencesExtension
New March 2025, 2023 Alabama Extension Human Sciences Impact Report, FCS-2854
Past Reports
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal opportunity educator, employer, and provider. If you need a reasonable accommodation or language access services, contact aceshse@auburn.edu.