Extension
It Starts With Us
Enhancing Life Skills
Acquiring Basic Life Skills
Stillwell, Jolly, Parrett
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Health 4-H Core Curriculum
How we live life is ever-changing but learning basic life skills is still as important as ever. Learning to practice healthy habits, select clothing to emphasize one’s best appearance, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe and pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others—all of these skills are basic to everyday life. Many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. Reality is that today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. Many of these basic life skills are not consistently taught to youth at home or at school. 4-H family and consumer sciences projects equip youth with these skills.
As with any other Kentucky 4-H Core Curriculum area, when it comes to development of life skills, a strong case can be made for the need to go beyond mere transfer of knowledge to giving youth the opportunity for a variety of supportive, related learning experiences to significantly increase the program’s influence.
4-H often offers basic learning activities on a topic of interest to youth but the addition of activities which support that interest (such as fair exhibits, related subject matter workshops or day camps, field trips, and decision-making judging contests) significantly increase the development of life skills in youth. In a study by Olson, Croymans and Ji (2014), 4-Hers reported that participating in 1 or 2 educational opportunities influenced the development of critical thinking and decision making skills, and participating in 6 to 8 opportunities significantly increased the program’s influence by adding development of life skills in leadership, planning/organization, wise use of resources, useful/marketable skills and accepting differences.
While many FCS skills can be learned through self-directed projects or school enrichment, it’s beneficial for youth to have the added experience and guidance of a trusted adult and the opportunity to form relationships with caring mentors. For many adults, long-term volunteering is not always possible but shorter-term volunteer roles create doable opportunities for more people to tuck volunteering into busy schedules. Special interest clubs and groups that meet for a few weeks or months broaden the possibilities. The volunteer efforts of multiple adults may be required to take the 4-H experience from club meetings alone to also include exhibits, field trips and more.
Youth will:
*Utilize skills gained through involvement in 4-H programs to serve as leaders not only in 4-H but other organizations.
*Become responsible & contributing individuals within their families and communities.
*Gain and maintain employment as a result of their life skill development through 4-H participation.
Youth will:
*Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
*Project a positive image and self-confidence
*Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
*Practice healthy eating choices
*Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
*Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future
Youth will:
*Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs
*Understand the decision-making process
*Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
*Acquire better oral and written communication skills that will aide them in formal presentations, scholarship/college applications, job resumes and other formal presentations
Initial Outcome: Gain knowledge & acquire skills
Indicator: Number of Youth who demonstrate increased or routine use of like skills learned through 4-H in daily life
Method: Family & Consumer Sciences 4-H program evaluation
Timeline: at end of school year
Intermediate Outcome: Make choices that lead to responsible & beneficial results
Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they set a goal and accomplished it
Method: Family & consumer science 4-H program evaluation
Timeline: at end of school and/or project year
Long-term Outcome: Become responsible and contributing individuals within their family and communities
Indicator: Number of youth that credit 4-H for their achievements
Method: Family & consumer science 4-H program evaluation
Timeline:
Given at one's senior year in HS or within one year of graduating.
Audience: High School youth
Project or Activity: FCS Essentials class collaboration
Content or Curriculum: FCS, Leadership, Health and Communications curriculum
Inputs: Local schools, community volunteers & businesses
Date: Monthly from Fall to Spring
Audience: 4-H youth
Project or Activity: Babysitting
Content or Curriculum: Child Care: Kentucky 4-H Babysitting Basics 4 Fun and 4 Profit
Inputs: extension agents, volunteers, professionals in related field
Date: fall, spring or summer
Audience: High School juniors
Project or Activity: APES
Content or Curriculum: APES
Inputs: related business volunteers, school counselors, teachers, local electric cooperative
Date: November
Audience: Elementary 4 & 5th grade youth
Project or Activity: Organized School Clubs
Content or Curriculum: FCS, Leadership, Health and Communications curriculum
Inputs: Local schools, community volunteers, businesses & leaders
Date: Monthly from Fall to Spring
Author: Bonita Jolly
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
According to Michigan State University Extension articles published in January 2013 and August 2016, one of the most important support systems for healthy adolescent development is positive friendships and positive peer influences. Positive peer influence refers to kids acting as good or positive influences on other kids. These peer to peer relationships can encourage teens to care about people, meet/set higher standards and participate in constructive activities
Author: Dayna Fentress
Major Program: Keys to Great Parenting
In Hardin County, right at 50% of our children enter into kindergarten unprepared. Ken­tucky defines readiness holistically and has broken it down in five domains: physical and motor development; social and emotional development; approaches to learning; language development; and cognitive development. A child's readiness score is determined by measuring a student’s cognitive, physical and language development.The first 5 years of development are crucial for a child's readiness
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Nurturing Parenting
Summary: Kentucky has a population of about 4,454,000 citizens according to the United States Census Bureau. According to a study conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in 2018 Kentucky ranked number 37 across the nation as far as economic well-being. The indicators that are used to come up with this rankings is derived from factors such as children in poverty, children whose parents lack secure employment, children living in households with a high housing cost burden, and teens
Author: Chandra DeRamus
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
This youth program for the Mission Hope for Kids located in Elizabethtown, KY focused on enhancing life skills for teen audiences and improving eating habits of the youth. The teens engaged in programs where they learned resume writing techniques and cover letters. In addition, they got the chance to explore various careers in Agriculture, STEM, Healthcare, Business, Education, and Family & Consumer Sciences. Each teen got a chance to really explore some of the requirements
Author: Bonita Jolly
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
“Texas in my Rear View Mirror” was written & recorded by Mac Davis in the 1980’s. Although many may have never heard of Mac Davis, the lyrics somehow stick in the back of your mind. It deals with the growing pains of a young teen wanting to spread their wings and leaving their home of Lubbock, Texas. I too can somewhat relate to that having graduated from high school in 1972 and moving from Florida to Kentucky in 1974. Although I have lived her
Author: Marla Stillwell
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
With the primary goal of the Kentucky 4-H Clover Bud program being to promote children’s healthy development – mentally, physically, socially and emotionally, the West KY 4-H Cloverbud Family Camp planning team of agent coordinators worked hard to provide an excellent opportunity for children ages 5-8 and their families to learn about the world around them, develop positive attitudes about learning new things by hands-on involvement, develop a deeper relationship with a caring adult
Author: Marla Stillwell
Major Program: Health 4-H Core Curriculum
According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults, and build self-confidence (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.). Currently, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21% (Trust for America’s Health Survey and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). To address the need to teach life skills and develop heal
Author: Marla Stillwell
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
As the aspects of Hardin County continues to change due to the effects of the United States Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) efforts, many attempts have been made by Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service to support these families and youth of local military. The Ft. Knox 4-H partnership is currently in its sixteenth year and continues to involve over 200 military youth each year in 4-H youth development programs both on and off the installation. Hardin County Coope
Author: Dayna Fentress
Major Program: Empowering Community Leaders (general)
In 2018, FCS Extension, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, and Hardin County Adult Education opened a professional clothing closet that is open to the public when anyone is in need of interview attire. After using space at the Hardin County Adult Education for close to a year for the community clothing closet for professional attire, new partnership opportunities with the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College allowed for a permanent location. Extension began a collaboration w
