Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Joyce Doyle
Major Program: Civic Engagement
During the pandemic I have really tried to see good in everything. And guess what? When you look for the positive you can find the positive. So it was time to think of others. When I looked up the definition of community service, the word work was always in the definition. Well! I disagree. I believe the word work should be replaced with the “joy” of doing for others without asking for anything in return. Although you do not ask for something in return,
Author: Christina A. Martin
Major Program: Civic Engagement
The 4-H Mock Presidential Election has been held for several election cycles as part of an ongoing 4-H citizenship education initiative. Students are educated about the election process in the United States of America, the duties of voting, and the suffrage 100 year anniversary. Additionally they learned about the office of the presidency, presidential duties, and presidential modes of transportation.Approximately 600 youth in 3rd through 8th grades participated in the presentation a
Author: Sharee Schoonover
Major Program: Civic Engagement
2020 Bale TrailThe Livingston County Animal Sciences program recently completed its 2nd annual Bale Trail fundraiser. With the limits being placed on families due to COVID, this event provided the perfect socially distanced fall activity for the community. This event had participation from 17 groups and individuals who set up displays, which included farm animals, scenes from children’s books, a giant teddy bear, and more. This event was attended by over 100 families who drove the route, w
Author: Toni Humble
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Virtual learning is the only way that we have been able to communicate and reach youth in our community. Covid-19 has provided us some unique opportunities to try some new things and test new county programming efforts.Wayne Co has held virtual clubs for art, cooking, cloverbuds, needlework and culture/global awareness. In total 30 youth are participating on a regular basis. Success is evident by responses from parents and youth. "I grew up in Germany and since he's heard a lot abo
Author: Dora Centers
Major Program: Civic Engagement
During our virtual pandemic, educators have faced unprecedented obstacles and loss of interest from youth, as well as, the educators themselves this past year. The youth in our community face poverty, physical abuse, drugs, foster care, homelessness and many other traumatic factors in their lives. Unfortunately, Knott county and eastern Kentucky has been identified as an area with very high concentration of all the above. The 4-H agent and a local high school teacher set out to
Author: Rebecca Hayes
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Emma Riggs participated in the State 4-H Citizenship Bee in the Junior division. She reached out to me about participating so I sent her all of the information and she stayed in touch with me on how to study and prepare. She spent a lot of time preparing and won her division!
Author: Madalyn Hale
Major Program: Civic Engagement
2020 was the 30th year for the 4-H Issues Conference in Kentucky. While we are in the middle of a global pandemic, we knew that we would not be able to conduct this conference in its usual format at the 4-H Educational Center in Jabez, Kentucky. As a planning committee we all put our heads together to determine a new way to hold the conference that would still engage the youth and have beneficial outcomes. After months of planning, we were able to facilitate the 4-H Issues Conference in a hybrid
Author: Ryan Farley
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the District 4 4-H Inauguration trip scheduled for January 2021 was cancelled. The purpose of this trip was to provide 4-H youth an opportunity to visit Washington D.C. and familiarize themselves with not only our nation’s capital but also everything that accompanies the presidential election and inauguration process. After the trip was cancelled, District 4 4-H agents felt strongly that providing civic and government educational opportunities we
Author: Catherine Weaver
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the District 4 4-H Inauguration trip scheduled for January 2021 was cancelled. The purpose of this trip was to provide 4-H youth an opportunity to visit Washington D.C. and familiarize themselves with not only our nation’s capital but also everything that accompanies the presidential election and inauguration process. After the trip was cancelled, District 4 4-H agents felt strongly that providing civic and government educational opportunities we
Author: Hollyn Howard
Major Program: Civic Engagement
In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity in our community increased and the 14 Nelson County 4-H Market-to-Market Ham Club members recognized an opportunity to give back. Members donated a total of three club hams--one country ham to a Habitat for Humanity family of 5 and two hams to Communicare, a residential behavioral health clinic. Members of the 4-H club cure two country hams each. Many years, including 2020, extra hams that the club auctions at the end of the year for fund
Author: Krista Perry
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District 4 4-H Inauguration trip scheduled for January 2021 was cancelled. The purpose of this trip was to provide 4-H youth an opportunity to visit Washington D.C. and familiarize themselves with not only our nation’s capital, but also everything that accompanies the presidential election and inauguration process. After the trip was cancelled, District 4 4-H agents felt strongly that providing civic and government educational opportunities
Author: Lloyd Saylor
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Families have been impacted financially and psychologically by the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Butler County Extension Service worked with The Kentucky Dairy Development Council and the H&S Dairy Farm to secure a semi-load of fresh dairy products for distribution to Butler County citizens. The event was organized and promoted by extension service staff and volunteers. The event was advertised as Dairy Promotion Day. The Butler County Family Resource Center and youth ser
Author: Shelley Meyer
Major Program: Civic Engagement
The 4-H youth organization strives to teach and mold youth development to help grow them into successful and caring members of society. Four key concepts of youth development essential elements identified by researchers include mastery, independence, belonging, and generosity. Pendleton County, Kentucky 4-H has practiced the “generosity” element on more than one occasion. Kress defines generosity as the opportunity to value and practice service to others (Kress, 2004). The 4-H motto:
Author: Dora Centers
Major Program: Civic Engagement
In the winter of 2020, Knott Co 4-H was approached by several local organizations who had lost their typical sponsors and volunteers due to the pandemic. These organizations look to help youth who are in the foster care system. These youth and families are extremely high risk and the majority are low income. We have never attempted a program like an angel tree where children are anonymous and donated gifts are given to those children and families in need, but we embraced the id
Author: Brittany Osborne
Major Program: Civic Engagement
With civic distress in the United States during our 2020 Presidential Campaign, the need for more education around civic engagement was in high demand. Through the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service, 4-H met this demand in a local school. The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncanthe states, "When it is done well, civic education equips students with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century – the ability to communicate effectively, to work collectively, to
Author: Owen Prim
Major Program: Civic Engagement
The impacts of the current pandemic, both immediate and repercussive, cannot be overstated. Deaths, economic downturns and job losses are just a few of the struggles that we as global citizens are dealing with in a COVID-19 world. That being said, there are certain populations who are affected by the pandemic now more than others. The elderly have been much more vulnerable to the physical, emotional and mental effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic. While i
Author: Lisa Hagman
Major Program: Civic Engagement
The National Council for the Social Studies contends: “The primary purpose of Social Studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” These skills, habits and qualities of character will prepare students to accept responsibility for preserving and defending their liberties and empower them to think critically, reason and problem so
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Citizenship Washington Focus: Presidential Inauguration 2021 experience was cancelled. Hosted by the National 4-H Center, approximately 68 youth from central Kentucky were planning on attending. In addition to the trip itself, the Kentucky planning committee, made up of agents from around Central Kentucky, had scheduled several civic educational days to be used to supplement the participants’ knowledge of the election and electoral process.
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Kentucky 4-H focuses on eight essential elements of positive youth development and the 4-H sewing project works toward the essential element of mastery. The primary goal of the Kentucky 4-H Sewing program is to teach youth about the art and skill of creating useful items using needle and thread. This includes not only the use of a hand needle and thread, but also the sewing machine and serger. Sewing can be used to create clothing and wardrobe essentials, as well as usefu
Author: Carrie Derossett
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Kentucky’s Core Academic Standards for 5th grade Social Studies include:C: Civic Virtues and Democratic Principles 5.C.CV.1 Describe the democratic principles of equality before the law, inalienable rights, consent of the governed and right to alter or abolish the government.C: Processes, Rules and Laws 5.C.PR.1 Evaluate whether various rules and laws promote the general welfare, using historical and contemporary examples.C: Kentucky Government 5.C.KGO.1 Explain the roles and responsibilit
Author: Charles Stamper
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Since 2011 the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program has been actively engaged in the National 4-H Mentoring Project. Each year, an average 60 mentees are paired with mentors and work together for a minimum of 36 hours over a nine-month period. During the mentoring process, mentors and mentees develop a safe, caring relationship. We have had 660 youth participate in the mentoring project. Over $520,000 in grant funds have been awarded to counties in support of the mentoring program from the Nat
Author: Julie Brown
Major Program: Civic Engagement
More than one-third of United States high school students do not have a basic understanding of democratic citizenship and government; therefore, lack the skills to competently participate as an informed citizen. Every year Warren County 4-H Youth Development Agents take a group of 4-H members to the Kentucky State Capitol to visit with their local legislators and to learn the process on how a bill becomes a law. Since 4-H members were going to miss out on yearly 4-H Capitol Experienc
Author: Paula Tarry
Major Program: Civic Engagement
According to the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, in 2019, 34 million people lived in poverty in America. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 people (more than 50 million people), including 1 in 4 children (approximately 17 million children) in the United States are experiencing food insecurity in 2021. To help solve this problem, a Senior Barren County 4-H member received one of 106 nation wide $250 grant from the Sodexo for Stop Hunger Program Youth in conjunction with Ba
Author: Paula Tarry
Major Program: Civic Engagement
It is the Thought That CountsCommunity Service Learning is a form of experiential learning in which youth apply the subject matter they are learning along with critical thinking skills to address genuine community needs. When youth are involved in selecting and planning such efforts, and have structured time to reflect, talk, and write about the actual service activity they are performing the youth learn more, they become more confident about what they have learned, they improve in problem-solvi
