Extension
It Starts With Us
Building Life Skills in Youth
Building Life Skills in Youth
Boone, FCS Agent, Potts, Heisdorffer, Hardy
4-H Youth Development Programming
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum
Historically, 4-H is known as a program that teaches life skills. Millions of people have taken advantage of these 4-H programs. According to the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development skills individuals gain through 4-H participation play a vital role in helping them achieve future successes. Learning basic life skills is still as important as ever, however, many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. Additionally, today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. As a result many of the basic life schools such as cooking are not being taught. 4-H is also one of the only organizations teaching communication skills to youth ages 9-13. The development of communications skills is one of the preeminent skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader.
Youth will grow into responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
Youth will utilize the skills gained through education and involvement in 4-H programs to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.
Youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations.
Youth will construct a speech that has a clear introduction, body and closing.
Youth will demonstrate an increased level of confidence when presenting in front of groups.
Youth will learn to read and follow instructions.
Youth will gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs.
Youth will research and create a speech using a written outline.
Youth will be prepared to present before their family, a group of their peers, and a school or county qualifying event.
Long-term Outcome: 4-H Alumni will grow into responsible and contributing individuals and family members. 4-H Alumni will utilize the skills gained through involvement in 4-H programs to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.
Indicator: 4-H Alumni using 4-H skills as adults
Method: Personal testimonials
Timeline: All year
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Communications Lessons, 4-H Communications Contest
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Speeches publication, 4-H Demonstrations publication, 4-H Communications – Picking up the Pieces, Putting in Together and The Perfect Fit.
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant, teachers
Date: School Year 2018-19
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Cooking, Food Safety, Nutrition
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef, Fantastic Foods, Luv-an-Egg, Put it up! Food Preservation, Cooking 101-401
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2018-19 and June 2019
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Sewing
Content or Curriculum: Keeping 4-H in Stitches Notebook, Kentucky 4-H Needlework Notebook, STEAM project books
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2018-19 and June 2019
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: West KY 4-H camping curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, West Kentucky 4-H Camp facility
Date: June/July 2019
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Jr. Homemaker Club
Content or Curriculum: approved curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant, Homemaker Volunteers
Date: School Year 18-1
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Photography Club
Content or Curriculum: approved curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Volunteer Leader
Date: School Year 18-19
Audience: Elementary School 9-12
Project or Activity: Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: Progressive Ag Safety Materials, approved curriculum
Inputs – Extension Agents and volunteers
Date: September 2018
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Garden Club/Horticulture Judging & Identification
Content or Curriculum: Raised Bed Demonstration Garden, 4-H Horticulture Judging and ID Curriculum
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Master Gardeners
Date: Monthly 2018-2019
Audience: Youth 9-18
Project: 4-H Homeschool & Homeschool Cloverbud Clubs
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum, LEAP program
Inputs: 4-H Volunteers
Dates: School year 18-19
Audience: School age youth
Project: Science
Content or Curriculum: STEM curriculum
Inputs: 4-H agents & assistants
Date: School year 18-19
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Unintentional injury, while declining, remains the leading cause of death among children ages 19 and under. (Source: Safekids.org) To raise awareness and show children ways to prevent these types of injuries, the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service applied for and received a grant from the Progressive Agriculture Foundation to host a Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day. The grant provided access to training, along with educational and planning materials.It also pr
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Providing youth with the ability to enhance and develop communication skills is of great importance in Kentucky. The development of communications skills is one of the preeminent skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader.Using age appropriate activities selected from the approved Kentucky 4-H Communications & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capacities. &
Author: Lindsey Dunn
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
As youth become more engaged in the world of cell phones, social media, and video games, the need to nurture soft skills in our youth continues to grow. The 4-H communications curriculum has been developing young leaders in Daviess County for a number of years by furthering their soft skills in public speaking. The County speech contest has proved to bring positive results for youth involved as several have moved on to the district and state contests, even producing blue ribbon quality sta
Author: Lindsey Dunn
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
According to research, middle school is a time where young people find their place in this world, they are exploring where their strengths and interests align (Fagell. P.L., 2019). Therefore, it is imperative to provide positive experiences where young people may explore the world in a safe environment. Due to the decline in enrollment numbers throughout the middle school years in 4-H programming, Kentucky 4-H hosts the Kentucky 4-H Summit Leadership Conference for middle schoolers (
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Daviess County 4-H provided a series of six healthy living based programs for eighteen 3rd -5th grade after school program students at Estes Elementary as a 21st Century grant partner. The school is located in a low-income area next to the Rolling Heights apartments, operated by the Owensboro Housing Authority. The lessons included proper breathing activities and techniques for calming and stress relief, proper hand-washing, stretching exercises and healthy snacking. For healthy snac
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
The primary goal of the Kentucky 4-H Sewing program is to teach youth about the art and skills 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 useful items for daily living.Five Daviess County 4-H’ers worked with a volunteer leader for 12 hours over four nights and an undetermined amount of additional hou
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum
The Kentucky 4-H Horse Program has multiple objectives including developing leadership, self-reliance, promoting a greater love for animals and humane treatment of them, experiencing the pride of working with a horse, pony, or mule and being responsible for its management and welfare, enhancing horsemanship skills and increasing knowledge of basic safety precautions. District 6 North 4-H Horse Camp is an overnight experience which includes educational workshops, riding time under the super
Author: Lindsey Dunn
Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum
The Daviess County 4-H program has been offering Summer Day Camps to 4-H’ers and local youth for a number of years. From 2015-2019, Daviess County 4-H Staff have provided over fifty opportunities for youth to participate in these Summer Day Camps. Some of these day camps fill up with registered participants within days of publishing the Summer Day Camp booklet each spring. Every year, parents and participants ask about these day camps in advance of the booklet publication
