Extension
It Starts With Us
Develop and Strengthen Leadership and Life Skills
Develop and Strengthen Leadership and Life Skills
Amanda Sears, Brandon Sears, Aubrey Clark, Scott Darst
Empowering Community Leaders (general)
4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources
4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Master Gardener
According to surveys conducted by the Madison County Cooperative Extension Service, over fifty percent of the respondents expressed a desire for more leadership and life skills education through program suggestions and ratings of existing programs. (Madison County POW Survey, 2016)
Life skills (including leadership and communication) programs are designed to teach a broad set of social and behavioral skills—also referred to as “soft” or “non-cognitive” skills—that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands of everyday life. (worldbank.org)
Youth will contribute to self, family, community and to the institutions of our society. Youth will obtain the communication and life skills needed to enter the workplace and/or institution of higher learning and lead successful lives. Youth will serve as teen and adult leaders in their communities, community organizations, environmental stewards, and as mentors for younger youth.
Master gardeners will assist with programming and lead classes in the community
Youth will set and achieve goals, develop a positive bond with a caring adult who believe in their success and apply the life skills learned in 4-H in other activities at home, school and in the community.
Volunteers and leaders practice personal leadership skills in clubs, schools and community outreach, improve skills in communication, problem solving, or group process in addressing organizational issues and needs and apply skills to assess needs, develop programs and implement solutions for community problems.
Master Gardeners will coordinate Madison County Master Gardener Club.
Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the decision-making process, and develop life skills. They will also will increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator. Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
Clientele increase knowledge and skills in personal leadership.
Residents will understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being, and will learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Master Gardeners will learn horticulture skills.
Future Madison County leaders participate in Leadership Madison County to learn about the local agriculture economy.
Outcome: Youth will obtain the communication and life skills needed to enter the workplace and/or institution of higher learning and lead successful lives
Indicator: Percentage of students who successfully prepare and deliver a 4-H speech or demonstration. Number of students who earn a blue ribbon base on the quality of their presentation overall.
Method: 4-H Speech or Demonstration Score Sheet
Timeline: At the end of the program.
Outcome:Youth will set and achieve goals, develop have a positive bond with a caring adult who believe in their success and apply the life skills learned in 4-H in other activities at home, school and in the community.
Indicator:Number of youth who successfully complete art projects and the number of youth who enter projects into the county fair.
Method:Record entry Data from fair and observation of work during Clover Art Studio events, Expressive Arts Common Measures Survey
Timeline:Ongoing during clover art events and July for County Fair entry.
Outcome:Youth will learn to read and follow instructions while developing skills in Family and Consumer Sciences projects and programs.
Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they followed instructions step-by step to do or make things themselves.
Method:End of program surveys, observation of completed work, entries during the County Fair
Timeline: Throughout project work, conclusion of the program
Outcome: Youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations. They will project a positive image and self-confidence and make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results.
Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they showed another person how to do what they learned to do for themselves.
Method:Survey shortly after conclusion of the program
Outcome: Youth will make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results and adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future.
Indicator: Number of youth who demonstrate increased routine use of life skills learned through 4-H in daily life.
Method:Survey after the conclusion of the program, Teacher and parent surveys
Outcome: Master Clothing volunteers practice personal leadership skills in
workshops and community outreach and improve communication and program planning skills.
Indicator: MCV teach workshops and create community projects that improve
skills of participants and serve a need in the community.
Method: MCV reports and class evaluations
Timeline: As projects and classes are completed
Outcome: Leadership Madison County program graduates develop opportunities in local leadership roles
Indicator: Number of graduates who become involved in or are selected for positions of leadership.
Method:Identify past graduates who serve in leadership roles with various local and regional organizations, businesses, elected offices, or agribusinesses/commodity groups.
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Master gardeners will assist with programming such as county fair and farmer's market events.
Indicator: Increased number of classes offered by master gardeners
Method: Master Gardeners taking on more responsibility with programming. Master Gardeners will be trained how to handle each program they work with.
Timeline: Throughout the year
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: County Communications Contest
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Curriculum, Talk Meet, Demonstrations Booklet, and Contest Rules
Inputs: Volunteer and Agent time, space for contest, awards for participants, refreshments for volunteers, copies, tools (stopwatches, calculators, etc)
Date: Winter- Spring, Annually
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: Communications Contest in the Schools: Speak Up!
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Curriculum, Talk Meet, Demonstrations Booklet, and Contest Rules
Inputs: Agent time, space for contest, awards for participants, copies, tools (stopwatches, calculators, etc)
Date: Winter- Spring, Annually
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: Baldwin Community 4-H Club
Content or Curriculum: Varies: typically 4-H Arts, Leadership, or Communication activities
Inputs: meeting space and supplies, project materials, volunteer time
Date: Once a month, year round.
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: Leadership Clubs/Groups
Content or Curriculum: Unlock Your Leadership Potential, Civic Engagement, district and state level events, 4-H Camp Counselor Training manual
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Year Round
Audience: Cloverbuds and 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Project Clubs/Groups
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Sewing—Keeping 4-H in Stitches; 4-H Cooking—
4-H Cooking 101, 201, 301, 401, Super Star Chef, Teen Cuisine; 4-H Babysitting—KY 4-H Babysitting Basics 4 Fun and 4 Profit; County Fair Projects
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Time varies by project
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Richmond Teen Center
Content or Curriculum: Varies: Unlock your Leadership Potential, National 4-H Mentoring program, Speak Up, Jr MANRRS, 4-H SET
Inputs: 4-H volunteers, resources, curriculum
Date: annually
Audience: Youth 12-18
Project or Activity: Shooting sports teen leaders
Content or curriculum: varies: shooting sports, Step up to Leadership Mentor guide
Inputs: meeting space and supplies, curriculum, equipment
Date: Annually
Audience: Board and Council members, clientele
Activity: Family and Consumer Science Council and Homemaker Board, County Extension Council
Content or curriculum: Council Guidelines
Input: KEHA materials, Letters, meals, meeting space, agent and volunteer time
Date: Year Round
Audience: Master Volunteers and clientele
Activity: Master Volunteer in Clothing Program
Content or curriculum: Volunteer Activities, MCV State Training and guidelines
Input: Training fees, agent time, volunteer service hours, samples and supplies
Date: Year Round
Audience: Madison County District Board Members
Activity: District Board
Content or Curriculum: District Board Manual
Inputs: volunteer service, treasurer, Department of Local Government, Fiscal Court
Date: Year Round
Audience: Adults
Activity: Leadership Madison County Program
Content: Madison County Chambers of Commerce in Richmond and Berea (Agriculture Day)
Inputs: Volunteer farmers, ANR agent, Richmond & Berea Chamber resources
Date: September, Annually
Audience: Adults
Activity: Master Gardeners
Content: UK program
Inputs: UK curriculum, specialists, Horticulture Agent
Date: As needed
Audience: Master Gardeners
Activity: Master Gardener Club
Content: As needed
Inputs: Land grant publications, Horticulture Agent
Date: monthly
Audience: Resident Farmers
Activity: Madison County Ag Development Council
Content: Governor’s Office of Ag Policy Program Guidelines
Inputs: GOAP staff, county council members, ANR agent
Date: 3-4 times per year (as needed)
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Community Leadership Development
The county fair is a hectic time for agents. There are a lot of different programs going on at the same time and volunteer help is essential. For example, exhibit take in uses over thirty volunteers. Historically, a two problems occur with fair volunteers that assist with exhibit take in and judging. Often volunteers back out at the last minute. This led agents to scramble for more help. The other issue was poor communication between agents and volunteers. The Madison County Horticultu
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Liberty Place is a women’s drug rehabilitation center located in Madison County, Kentucky. Residents live at the facility. The average stay is nine months.For the past four years, the Madison County Cooperative Extension Agent for Horticulture has worked with residents on a gardening project at the facility. The Agent does an initial gardening class for interested participants in March. After the classroom portion of the meeting, residents get hands on experience by planting seeds and plan
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Madison County Horticulture Agent offered a class in December teaching how to make a holiday centerpiece using greenery that can be harvested from your landscape. The Agent worked with two master gardeners, each with a background in floral design, who taught the class. The master gardeners demonstrated basic concepts in floral design. After their demonstration, the participants had the opportunity to make their own centerpieces using greenery that the Agent and master gardener club had
Author: Aubrey Lawson
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
The Cooperative Extension Service in Madison County held a 4-H cake decorating club that met each month for 6 months in the fall of 2019. This club had 24 participants that attended the meetings regularly. Each of the first 5 meetings were spent practicing various cake decorating techniques, learning about cake decorating tools and just having fun. At the last meeting the youth were each given a full cake to decorate. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension service, hobbies can be satisfying
Author: Aubrey Lawson
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Some of the goals of the Kentucky 4-H Camping Program includes providing a positive change in youth, providing programming that allows youth to master activity skills, creating a sense of belonging for everyone that participates, providing experiences that lead to new interests and hobbies, and to increase our retention rate of campers and volunteers. Due the COVID-19 the Kentucky 4-H Camping Program was suspended this summer. The Madison County Cooperative Extension Service understood the defic
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Some of the goals of the Kentucky 4-H Camping Program includes providing a positive change in youth, providing programming that allows youth to master activity skills, creating a sense of belonging for everyone that participates, providing experiences that lead to new interests and hobbies, and to increase our retention rate of campers and volunteers. Due the COVID-19 the Kentucky 4-H Camping Program was suspended this summer. The Madison County Cooperative Extension Service understood the defic
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: 4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources
In the article, Benefits of Nature for Children and Families, it states that “As children grow to teenagers, media usage jumps exponentially, with computers and social media playing ever-important roles. Most studies on the digital health and emotional well-being of children agree there are pitfalls and benefits of technology.” The article talked about the lack of nature and the consequences it can have on a youth’s overall well being. Furthermore, the article concluded that, &
