Extension
It Starts With Us
Building Lifeskills
Lifeskills
Alexander, Raymer, Shadrick
4-H Youth Development Programming
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Science, Engineering and Technology 4-H Core Curriculum
The Webster County Extension Council identified life skills as a need for the citizens of Webster County. Life skills promote mental well-being in young people and equips them to face the realities of life.
Life skills are “abilities for adaptive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life” (WHO, 1997, p.1). The Extension Service can provide programming in areas that will enable children, youth, and adults to develop life skills that will help them make informed and effective decisions to improve their quality of life. In addition, the youth will have opportunities to develop these skills that will aid them in continuing education and gainful employment.
4-H Youth and other youth involved in programming will:
Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of their participation in 4-H Programs.
Improve their academic standing and job readiness skills that will lead to gainful employment.
• Increase practical living skills and make more effective decisions.
• Become a contributing member of society.
• Youth and teens will develop an increased ability to serve in leadership roles.
• Youth are better able to communicate and perform in public situations and will be better prepared to manage relationships.
• Youth and Adults will communicate effectively through speaking, writing, and listening
• Individuals will have increased self-confidence not only to speak in front of a group, but to tackle situations which arise in everyday life
• Youth will develop writing skills to write personal pieces to communicate ideas.
• Youth will apply organizational skills and delivery techniques to produce oral messages and products with and without technology.
• Youth and Adults implement safety procedures at their homes and/or farms
• Youth will have security and confidence if in an emergency situation
Practice communication and team work skills among peers.
• Develop thoughts and present them orally and effectively to a group in the communications contest.
• Build strong decision making and oral communication skills in judging clinics and contests.
• Raise and maintain responsibility for a 4-H project animal.
• Safely operate and maintain project equipment: camera, bicycle, firearm etc
• Practice goals and objectives through the 4-H projects.
• Perform in front of a group at the 4-H Variety Show/club or workshop
• Study more effectively.
• Gain confidence in front of a group.
• Interview for a position.
• Prepare a 4-H project such as foods, arts& crafts, clothing, wood, etc.
• Communicate positively with their parent(s)/family more frequently.
• Use proper etiquette at a banquet.
• Youth will write and present speeches and\or demonstrations
• Participants will reduces conflict through affective communication
• Participate in the 4-H speaking events will be able to use the skills they have acquired through the 4-H events to speak comfortably in front of an audience.
• The skills gained will benefit them throughout their school career and will aid them in their quest to find a job and communicate effectively at that job.
• Youth will practice parliamentary procedure at 4-H Club meetings.
• Youth will prepare oral judging reasons for Livestock Judging skill a thon Events, and present reasons in front of a judge
• Youth will wear proper safety equipment when operating an ATV, RTV, bicycles, and motorcycle.
Learn what educational opportunities away from home are available and how to attend college
• Acquire study skills and memorization techniques.
• Learn how to communicate effectively, make informed and effective decisions.
• Gain knowledge in clothing selection, design, and construction.
• Learn how to exhibit self-confidence in front of a crowd.
• Learn how to research a topic and present it to a group of peers, family, etc.
• Learn life skills (cooking, sewing, budgeting, managing, and working, etc.).
• Learn proper job skills (interviewing, writing, communicating, thinking, problem solving.
• Gain proper serving skills
• Learn proper etiquette and manners
• Rally Day entries meet or exceed the standards
• Teens learn decision making skills and responsibilities.
• Youth learn public speaking, organizational and research skills.
• Youth develop self-esteem.
• Youth learn the importance of making a good impression.
• Teens learn to set goals, develop plans, and implement plans.
• Volunteers and leaders will learn basic communication skills, aspire to participate in programs and projects in the community, and acquire the skills to be responsible for their own lives and the well-being of the community
• Youth will learn how to organize information, thoughts and ideas into a speech or demonstration.
• Youth will learn how to conduct a meeting using parliamentary procedure.
• Youth will learn how to place livestock and then justify that placing through oral reasons
• Youth will compete in events and will be recognized for their accomplishments.
• Youth will attend day camps and project meetings and begin to learn new skills.
• New mothers and those who support them increase knowledge about the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding.
• Youth will learn importance of soil conservation.
• Youth will learn where food comes from
• Raise awareness of possible careers in agriculture
• Youth will learn importance of medical emergency personnel and have confidence and security if they are ever in need of them due to medical emergencies
Initial Outcome: Youth will gain confidence, knowledge, and skills in the areas of Family & Consumer Sciences, Communications and Expressive Arts, and Science, Engineering, & Technology.
•Youth reporting that they followed instructions step by step to do or make things themselves.
• Number of youth that have improved communication skills through participation in 4-H Talk Meet.
•Number of youth who participated in SET related programs and applied the scientific method.
Method: Kentucky 4-H Core Curriculum evaluations, post surveys, youth and leader testimonials
Timeline: Throughout program implementation
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future.
•Youth report practicing life skills at home and school.
•Youth report greater confidence when public speaking.
•Youth report greater confidence in SET and plan to take advanced SET classes or pursue a SET related career.
Method: Follow-up surveys, personal interviews, and observations
Timeline: follow-up to program implementation
Long-term Outcome: Youth will gain and maintain employment through life skill development.
Indicator: Participants employed after successfully completing additional training or education after high school.
Method: Testimonials, census data
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Robotics Club
Content or Curriculum: Robotics with EV3 curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership
Date: Program 2018-2019
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Summer Camp
Content or Curriculum: Annual camp program based on the Kentucky 4-H Camping program and policies
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff and facility, public schools, community action, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business sponsorship
Date: Summer Annually
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Cloverbud Afterschool program
Content or Curriculum: KET Toolkit and other Kentucky 4-H approved curriculum for Expressive Arts
Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources
Date: program year 2018-2019
Audience: 4th graders county wide
Project or activity: Youth Ag and Safety Days
Content or Curriculum: Progressive Agriculture Foundation; UK
Inputs: Cooperative Extension, NRCS, Conservation District, Family Resource Centers, Farm Bureau, Independence bank, volunteers
Date: Last Thursday in September annually
Audience: Youth
Activity: Science, Engineering and Technology Day Camp
Content or Curriculum: Various approved Kentucky S.E.T. Curriculum
Inputs: Agents, specialist, program assistant , volunteers
Date: summer annually
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Communications Program
Content or Curriculum: Picking up the Pieces curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership
Date: Program year 2017-2018
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Local 4-H Performing Arts Program/Club
Content or Curriculum: KET Arts Curriculum and Kentucky 4-H approved core curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership
Date: year round
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Food Club
Content or Curriculum: Super Start Chef, Teen Cuisine, Cupcake wars, Culinary Challenge
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers
Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: School Year 2018-2019
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-Horticulture club
Content or Curriculum: State horticulture , Jr. Master Garden
Inputs: Certified volunteers, specialist, teen volunteers,4-H Agent
Date: Program Year 2018-2019
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-H Project clubs and workshops
Content: Kentucky approved core curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff and resources, local schools and staff, family resource and youth service centers, curriculum and program resources from handouts and specialists
Date: annually
Audience: Youth
Activity: Lunch Bunch in elementary schools
Content or Curriculum: 4-H curriculum, Manners and Etiquette, PIU recipes, SNAP materials, Money habitudes
Inputs: Agents, community volunteers, Family Resource Coordinator
Date: School year
Audience: Middle school students
Activity: Truth and Consequences program
Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences curriculum
Inputs: Agents, assistant, Family Resource Coordinator, community volunteers
Date: school year
Author: Vicki Shadrick
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
According to agfax, every three days a child dies in an ag-related incident. For youth working on the farm, tractors are the leading cause of death, followed by ATV’s. Each day, approximately 33 children are injured in an agriculture-related accident. Webster County Extension has been a recipient of the Progressive Ag Foundation Safety Day Grant for the past 10 years. The mission for the foundation is to “Provide education, training and resources to make
Author: Katherine Alexander
Major Program: Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours
The Webster County Cooperative Extension Service implemented Truth & Consequences: The Choice is Yours, a scenario based role-play activity designed tohelp students learn more about the physical, legal, financial, and emotional consequences of substance abuse, for 148 eighth grade students. Twenty-seven community partners and adult volunteers participated in the event. Three Judges, two Bailiffs, two attorneys, several law enforcement including Kentucky State Police, Game Warden, School Reso
Author: Wade Raymer
Major Program: Leadership 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 (grades 6-8)
Author: Wade Raymer
Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum
Kentucky’s natural resources play an important role in our state’s social, economic, and environmental well-being. Kentucky has over 91,000 miles of rivers and streams, more than 225,000 acres of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs, and Kentucky is 48% forested. The forestry sector alone contributed an estimated $14.6 billion in total economic contribution in 2015, and provided more than 57,000 jobs. Kentucky’s woodlands are vital, providing homes to a wide diversity of wildlife, prot
Author: Wade Raymer
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Leadership education builds several important assets in Kentucky youth and provides critical elements of youth development (Search Institute, 2004; Pittman, Irby & Ferber, 2001.) Youth who participate in leadership development opportunities are exposed to a variety of opportunities for personal development. Leadership activities help youth:-develop confidence in their leadership potential and their own sense of identity-improve their self-esteem-enhance their communication skills in sharing,
