Community Engagement and Economic DevelopmentPlan of Work

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Harrison County CES

Title:
Community Engagement and Economic Development
MAP:
Community Development
Agents Involved:
Mike Meyer, Benita Peoples, Jessica Barnes, Jessica Sayre
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Business Retention and Expansion
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Building Healthy Coalitions
Situation:

Activities and events are being held in Harrison County, many of them free to the public, to promote the wellbeing of the residents and the community. However, attendance to events is declining.

Long-Term Outcomes:

The community will work together to offer more programs and awareness resulting in an increased overall wellbeing.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Increased communication and interaction with elected officials and underserved populations.

Initial Outcomes:

Create awareness and educate the community on resources available to them.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Increased attendance at community and extension events

Indicator: New and improved programs offered by extension office, Public Library, Chamber of Commerce

Method: attendance and registration statistics

Timeline: All Year


Intermediate Outcome: Increased Citizen Participation

Indicator: Farmer's Market Participation, New City Park Improvements. Volunteers continue to participate

Method: Sign-in sheets, phone calls, website hits, news articles, and visits to Extension Office. A perceived more positive attitude about community

Timeline: 4 years or longer


Long-term Outcome: Community Improvements made

Indicator: Community beautification, County and City cleanup, business networking, infrastructure improvements, park development, grants received

Method: Observation and personal testing

Timeline: 3-5 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Community

Project or Activity: Continue to develop vision and needs for the future.

Content or Curriculum: Develop vision and needs for next 20 years.

Inputs: Agents, community members, local councils

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Media

Content or Curriculum: Radio, Newspaper, Newsletter, Electronic Sign promoting Harrison County activities

Inputs: Agents, paid staff, The Democrat, WCYN radio

Date: July-June


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: Website

Content or Curriculum: Extension to develop and link to other sites related to Harrison County. Update monthly.

Inputs: Extension staff

Date: July-June


Audience: Community members and leaders

Project or Activity: Grant Writing/Resource Acquisition

Content or Curriculum: Guide leaders as they seek dollars for action plans

Inputs: Community leaders

Date: July-June


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: Sponsor Community Blood Drive

Content or Curriculum: Commitment to the Community, work with Central Kentucky Blood Center

Inputs: Central Kentucky Blood Center

Date: 3 to 4 times during the year


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Community Health Fairs

Content or Curriculum: Preventative Health

Inputs: Harrison Memorial Hospital, Health providers, volunteers

Date: Jan - April


Audience: 4th and 5th grade students

Project or Activity: Safety Day

Content or Curriculum: Prevention

Inputs: local businesses, emergency services, volunteers

Date: July - October


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Community Day (at court house) sponsored by the Harrison County Homemakers and Harrison County Beef Cattle Association.

Content or Curriculum: Create Awareness

Inputs: Harrison County Homemakers and Harrison County Beef Cattle Association

Date: Jan - May


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: 4-H Center Grounds Development

Content or Curriculum: Advise leaders as they seek funding and development.

Inputs: District Board members, Cooperative Extension Council

Date: July - June


Audience: 4-H members

Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Council

Content or Curriculum: Step Up to Leadership

Inputs: 4-H UK Specialists, neighboring 4-H agents and programs, Kentucky 4-H

Date: All Year



Success Stories

Leadership Programs Prepare Teens for Opportunities Abroad

Author: Mike Meyer

Major Program: 4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

The Harrison County Teen Council works to establish opportunities of personal growth for middle and high school students.  The club focuses on soft-skill development, including communication, motivation, creativity, accountability, and dependability.  34 youth from 6th-12th grade attend monthly meetings, annual leadership opportunities, become a counselor at environmental and summer camp, as well as complete local civic and community service responsibilities.  2021 will bring exci

Full Story

Kentucky Volunteer Forum - Horticulture Track

Author: Jessica Wells

Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture

Volunteers play integral roles in 4-H programs, performing a variety of duties, functions, and tasks and possessing varied and rich knowledge, skills, and backgrounds (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011). The success of Extension programming is due, in part, to the dedication of a large cadre of volunteers (Smith, Dasher, & Klingborg, 2005). Although highly valued, volunteer involvement does not guarantee achievement of Extension's goals and fulfillment of learners' needs (Bolton, 1992).

Full Story

Harrison County Showcase

Author: Jessica Barnes

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

Harrison County has a unique farm that was setup in a trust by Agnus McDowell to be used by young farmers in Harrison County in order to help them get started in the agriculture industry.  This farm has 5 different tracts of land each containing around 180 acres for the young farmers to operate how they see fit. The trust helps with expenses and lets the farmers use their tract rent free with just a small portion of the proceeds coming back to the farm. This past fall USDA's Deputy Admi

Full Story

COVID-19 Programming

Author: Jessica Barnes

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

Over the past several months Covid-19 has changed the way Extension looks to many people. With that being said, agents have had to come up with different ways to stay in contact with their clientele while staying safe and practical.  Throughout this work-from-home phase the Harrison County Agriculture program has been able to increase its presence on social media to engage with more clients than it ever has, increase its email newsletter listserv, as well as show programming over Zoom and o

Full Story

4-H Involvement Leads to Officer and State Teen Council Leadership Positions

Author: Mike Meyer

Major Program: 4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

4-H Teen Leadership programming is designed to help youth develop soft-skills and gain experience in mulitiple leadership roles.  Bailey Thompson, a 4-H member in Harrison County for the past 9 years, saw the culmination of skill development through her 4-H involvment this year.  After holding multiple county officer positions, Bailey wanted to continue working on her communication, organization, and innovative skills through county, district, and state level involvement.  This ye

Full Story
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