UK College of Education, Picadome Elementary partnership supports well-being of families, students

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2026) — A new partnership between the University of Kentucky College of Education and Picadome Elementary School, with support from the Healthy Kentucky Initiative, is reaching families, classrooms and communities. 

The #IChampionHealth initiative, part of the UK PREVENT Alliance and based in the UK College of Education, is hosting a series of Caregiver Cafés. They provide opportunities for parents and caregivers of Picadome Elementary students in Fayette County to build community with one another and engage directly with school personnel beyond formal meetings or events.  

“Based on survey feedback from caregivers and our ongoing partnership with the UK College of Education, we partnered with #IChampionHealth to provide families a space to realize they aren’t alone. It is about building a village where every family can connect, share their journey and find a trusted network of support,” said Picadome Principal Tiffany Cook.  

The #IChampionHealth initiative focuses on improving the well-being of youth and families across the Commonwealth of Kentucky using approaches co-developed with community members and guided by research and real-world results.  

“Partnering with community members and understanding what matters most to them is essential,” said Melinda Ickes, Ph.D., a professor of health promotion in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion and associate dean for research in the UK College of Education. “Authentic, collaborative partnerships help create opportunities that truly reflect the needs and interests of the communities they’re meant to support. It’s also central to UK’s land-grant mission and helps advance Kentucky through meaningful, sustained engagement with communities.” 

Rather than using a prepackaged program, all of #IChampionHealth’s initiatives focus on co-creating unique strategies to support community needs. Together, #IChampionHealth and Picadome staff are designing activities that speak directly to the shared goals of all involved.  

“We want our activities to be supportive gatherings that allow caregivers to connect with one another and with school staff in a warm, less formal environment. We have designed the activities to be conversation-focused and creative to help foster stronger school-home connections,” said Jakob Hester, program coordinator for #IChampionHealth.   

The caregiver sessions take place once a month before school and are separated into K-2 and 3-5 grade groups. Caregiver-only sessions will remain the core format, but a few sessions that also include students are planned. The group is also exploring additional times, formats, and hybrid options, as well as opportunities to include more teacher and community partner connections. So far this school year, the events have been well-attended, with the most recent Caregiver Cafe drawing 75 caregivers and 68 students. 

For these events, #IChampionHealth co-designed tailored, co-branded activity and resource sheets with Picadome educators, including: a "Sprinkle Your Donut with Gratitude” reflection activity; coloring pages reinforcing #IChampionHealth and Picadome Pride (“Proud like a lion. Confident like a champion.”); and family conversation starter worksheets focused on normalizing conversations about feelings, as well as gratitude and storytelling. They also designed a two-question feedback tool asking caregivers about topics they'd like support with and ways to make future events even more accessible. 

Caregivers have expressed a clear desire to continue these casual opportunities to learn, share and connect in these welcoming environments. Their participation and candid feedback will continue to help Picadome and #IChampionHealth better refine strategies, develop tailored resources and share emerging best practices with other schools. 

For more information on the #IChampionHealth initiative, email ichampionhealth@uky.edu.