| Blount County

Today as never before the subject matter of Family and Consumer Sciences such as nutrition, parenting, child care, family financial management, indoor air quality, sustainable housing, children’s environmental health, etc. have moved to the forefront of community and legislative agendas. The general public, as well as, key leaders have recognized what we inside the field have long known; addressing these issues to develop strong families ultimately leads to strong communities. The long term impact is an economic one.

In Blount County, three staff members give leadership to the FCS Extension program. These members include Mary Beth Lima, UT/TSU Extension Agent and Program Assistants Sheri Arden and Danielle Trotter.

Below are selected programs offered by FCS Extension in Blount County:

Parenting Apart is an educational program for parents who have filed for divorce in Tennessee. It is mandated by law that divorcing couples of minor children attend a parent education course. Parenting Apart fulfills this requirement. Through this four-hour course, parents learn how to help their children cope with the issues that arise because of the divorce. Topics covered during the course range from facts about divorce to keeping children out of the middle of conflict. Classes include discussion, videos, lectures, and role-play activities.

Classes are offered monthly.
Pre-registration is cost is $45.00 Check made to The University of Tennessee or register online here.

All classes register in-person at our office. Please view the schedule below for a list of in-person dates:

First Time Home Buyer?

THDA (Tennessee Housing Development Agency) provides First Time Home Buyer Education. This program is designed to prepare first time homeowners to successfully manage home purchase and ownership. Any first time home buyer is encouraged to take the course. This course also fulfills the requirement of THDA loans as well as some USDA Rural Development loan requirements.

Click on the link below for information:

Ehomeamerica.org

This program is offered to Adults and Youth across Blount County. The purpose is to educate families and communities to make healthy choices. We teach food prep skills, healthy eating, stretching food budgets and begin more active. Please contact Danielle Trotter or Sheri Adren for more information.

Nothing tastes better than home-preserved food. During this course, participants will learn basic food preservation principles for safely canning fruits, vegetables, pickles, and jellied products. Class uses a variety of teaching techniques including discussion, demonstration, and live canning experience in-person or via Zoom Conference.

Please join us on Facebook for up to date information:

UT TSU Extension Blount Canning Community

For questions:

National Center for Food Preservation

Living Well with Chronic Conditions and Take Charge of Your Diabetes are fun, skill-building programs designed for persons and caregivers of those with chronic diseases or Diabetes. The program helps individuals take day-to-day responsibility for the care of their chronic condition. Participants gain skills necessary to self-manage their condition and work effectively with their health care provider.

We are currently offering classes at Everett Senior Center in Maryville.

For more information or to register please contact Mary Beth Lima at (865) 982-6430 ext.4.

This program is designed to provide state certification hours to Child Care providers. We cover topics including ACE’s, Autism, Outdoor Play, Behavior Management, Nutrition, School Readiness. If you are interested in hosting a program at your center please contact Mary Beth Lima mlima@utk.edu.

Many may recognize our group by one of our earlier names – Home Demonstration Clubs and Extension Homemakers. Now we’re known as Family & Community Education (fce) clubs.

Through our rich history, we have grown from small community clubs to a world wide network focused on growth through education. Tennessee fce partners with UT Extension to provide education and support for clubs in most counties as well as a region and state organization. In Blount County, 5 fce clubs meet monthly.

To learn more about these clubs and their meeting times, call the UT-TSU Extension office at (865) 982-6430 ext. 4.

Contact Information

Mary Beth Lima
Extension Agent I
Phone: 865-982-6430 ext. 4
Email: mlima@tennessee.edu

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