Extension
It Starts With Us
Leadership Development
Empowering Community Leaders
May, Wooten, Gibson
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Empowering Community Leaders (general)
4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Local Food System Development and Mapping
Building the capacity of volunteer leaders is critical for the sustainability of communities that support and strengthen families. This statement as never been more true than now with the downturn in the economy in eastern Kentucky due to the loss of jobs, particularly in the coal industry. Over the last 5 years, Perry County has seen a 2% decline in population. This is largely due to people having to leave the County to find jobs. It's going to take strong leadership to reverse this trend.
Extension is committed to engaging, educating, and empowering local citizens to investigate issues by making responsible decisions, and take ownership of solutions. Cooperative Extension offers opportunities for leadership through program councils, County Extension Councils, youth development, agriculture development, and family and consumer science programming. Leadership skills, such as goal-setting, problem-solving and sound decision-making, are not just needed for leaders- these skills are needed for success in today's world. (MacNeil, 2000). Helping youth develop leadership competencies makes them better able to solve community problems and enhances their civic participation. (O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003). Engaged young people help to re-energize adults and counteract negative stereotypes of youth when they are successfully engaged in leadership within their communities (Zeldin, &Camino, 1999; Fiscus, 2003).
Participants become leaders in the community.
Youth will become productive, engaged, and informed contributing adults.
Youth will identify and address critical issues that impact their communities.
Participants start to internalize leadership skills
Youth will demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in their everyday lives.
Participants attend programs and events to build self-confidence.
Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
Youth will acquire decision-making skills and gain an appreciation for civic engagement.
Initial Outcome:Outcome: Youth learn to identify leadership skills and begin to understand their own strengthens
Indicator: Number of youth participating that succeed in acquiring knowledge of desirable leadership traits
Method: survey
Timeline: at the conclusion of workshop or training
Intermediate Outcome: Youth are challenged to serve as mentors to younger youth
Indicator: Number of youth to report successful encounters in presenting programs to others, reports from leaders that have observed them
Method: surveys
Timeline: at the conclusion of the program
Long-term Outcome: Youth that serve in community capacities, on councils, in leadership roles
Indicator: observations, results, number of roles and depth of service
Method: self-reporting, interactions with community leaders,
Timeline: year roundInitial Outcome: New Leadership
Indicator: Number of participants becoming leaders
Method: Pre- and Post-test Evaluation
Timeline: 2016-2020
Audience: Middle School Teens
Project or Activity: Leadership training in character Ed, team building, working with younger youth
Content or Curriculum: Character Counts, Talking with TJ,
Inputs: program materials, school partners, training period, supervision, teens, agent
Date: Fall 2016
Audience: Middle and High School aged youth
Project or Activity: Leadership, Communications development, Teamwork Skills development
Content or Curriculum: Unlock Your Leadership, Teambuilding, WeConnect, citizenship curricula
Inputs: facility, presenters, supplies, school partners, Issues Conference, Summit Conference, Teen Conference, camp
Date: year round
Audience: Homemakers and General public
Project or Activity: Monthly Homemaker Lessons
Content or Curriculum: KEHA
Inputs: agents, specialists
Date: MonthlyAudience: Homemakers, General Public, Youth
Project or Activity: Holiday Showcase
Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum
Inputs: Agents, specialists, community partners
Date: November 2019
Audience: Homemakers, Youth, General public
Project or Activity: Come Sew With Us
Content or Curriculum: Leader designed programs
Inputs: agents, Master Clothing Volunteers
Date: Spring 2019
Audience: Arts Council members
Project or Activity: Arts Council meetings and events
Content or Curriculum: Developed by members
Inputs: agent, community members
Date: Monthly
Audience: Agricultural Development, Horticultural and Agricultural Councils
Project or Activity: Members attend annual meetings and leadership training opportunities. Members will take a leadership role in establishing an Extension Annex Facility.
Content or Curriculum: Leaders and agent will prioritize programming in Agriculture and develop a plan to promote growth in all sectors of agriculture in Perry County to help grow the local economy.
Inputs: agents, volunteers, council members
Dates: all year
Audience: Persons involved in Agritourism
Project or Activity: promote and expand Agritourism in Perry County
Content or Curriculum: work with all involved or interested in Agritourism and provide them assistance in marketing, finances and planning.
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, Community resources
Date: Summer months
Audience: Homemakers
Project or Activity: Area Homemaker Leader Training
Content or Curriculum: KEHA
Inputs: agents, specialists
Date: August 2019
Author: Jan Gibson
Major Program: 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts 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. This i
Author: Jan Gibson
Major Program: 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum
Interest in the traditional science fair has been declining in one of the schools. There is the age-old problem of who exactly DID the science fair exhibit that has contributed to the lack of interest to many of the students. The middle school teacher contacted the 4-H program to see how we could collaborate. Having served as a science fair judge for years, it has been my observation that one area that was lacking was the youth's ability to present their project. To combine
Author: Jan Gibson
Major Program: 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum
Luckily the County 4-H Talk Meet had been held in the fall semester, so there were county champions designated to represent at the district event. But in March, the demonstration training had just begun. Upon the Covid changes preventing in-person meetings or events, learning techniques and practicing of 4-H demonstrations were offered via Zoom. Youth were offered appointments with the agent and volunteer leader to practice their demonstration and the scoring resulted in
