Leadership and Communications
Developing Youth, Volunteer Leadership and Communications
Branstetter, Blankenship, Bell
4-H Youth Development Programming
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Many leadership scholars and youth development professionals agree that leadership development is an important, but often overlooked facet of youth development and education (MacNeil, 2000). The development of leadership contributes greatly to the positive development of young people and their communities. Leadership skills, such as goal-setting, problem-solving and sound decision-making, are not just necessary for leaders-these skills are needed for success in today's world (MacNeil, 2000). Furthermore, helping young people develop leadership competencies makes them better able to solve community problems and enhances their civic participation (O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003). Young leaders also demonstrate higher career aspirations, increased self-esteem, and improved high school completion rates (Bloomberg, Ganey, Alba, Quintero & Alcantara, 2003).
By supporting and engaging young leaders, adults, organizations and communities experience direct benefits, through stronger connections to other young people in the community (Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes & Lorens, 2001). They have a greater understanding of the problems facing other youth, and fresh perspectives for how to address these problems (Des Marais, Yang & Farzanehkia, 2000; Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes & Lorens, 2001; McGillicuddy, 1991). Additionally, 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).
4-H Youth and Volunteer Leadership is about:
- Learning about the concept of leadership and your individual role as a leader.
- Using leadership skills to effectively lead small groups and teams toward common goals.
Work within our community (club/county/state or beyond) to become an engaged leader who can make a difference.
• Youth and Volunteers will serve as teen and adult leaders in our community, organizations, and as mentors for younger youth. Youth will be productive, contributing adults in the future, leadership and communications skills needed to be successful in the workplace on a daily basis.
• Homemaker members in the County will grow their club memberships beyond current levels, through recruitment of new and diverse members.
• Youth and Volunteers will demonstrate leadership, mentor, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives. They will utilize leadership skills learned during their time in 4-H in clubs, activities and other community organizations.
• Homemaker members will serve as active volunteers in creating and carrying out, their annual County plan of work aiding with Family and Consumer Sciences and 4 – H activities and conducting service projects that benefit the community.
• Youth and Volunteers will increase their knowledge about leadership and communication, how to be an effective leader, team player, decision maker, listening and communicator.
• Metcalfe Co. Homemakers will increase their knowledge regarding the connection between the local Homemakers organization, the area organization of Mammoth Cave and the State level organization, KY Extension Homemakers Association and the opportunities available to them as members, to serve beyond their own community.
Long Term Outcome: Youth and Volunteers will serve as teen and adult leaders in our community, organizations, and as mentors for younger youth. They will be productive, contributing adults in the future, leadership and communications skills needed to be successful in the workplace on a daily basis.
Indicator: Number of volunteers and youth in leadership and communication roles
Method: Observation, Pre and Post Written Test
Timeline: On going
Intermediate Outcomes: Youth and Volunteers will demonstrate leadership, mentor, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives. They will utilize leadership skills learned during their time in 4-H in clubs, activities and other community organizations.
Indicator: Number that participate in county, area and state events
Method: Observation, Pre and Post Written Test
Timeline: On going
Initial Outcome: Youth and Volunteers will increase their knowledge about leadership and communication, how to be an effective leader, team player, decision maker, listening and communicator.
Indicator: Number that participate in county, area and state events
Method: Observation, Pre and Post Written Test
Timeline: On going
Long term outcome: Homemaker members in the County will grow their club memberships beyond current levels, through recruitment of new and diverse members.
Indicator: Number of new members who join Homemakers each year.
Method: Review membership renewals and new member enrollments, in November annually.
Timeline: 2017-2020 Intermediate outcome: Homemaker members will serve as active volunteers in creating and carrying out, their annual County plan of work; aiding with Family and Consumer Sciences and 4 – H activities and conducting service projects that benefit the community.
Indicator: Member volunteer service hour log records, members and club applications to the KEHA VSU award program, 4 – H and FCS volunteer sign – in sheets, County Homemaker Council Plan of Work and sign – in sheets from
Method: Observation, review and documentation of Volunteer service data sources as listed in Indicators above.
Timeline: 2017 - 2020
Initial outcome: Metcalfe Co. Homemakers will increase their knowledge regarding the connection between the local Homemakers organization, the area organization of Mammoth Cave and the State level organization, KY Extension Homemakers Association and the opportunities available to them as members, to serve beyond their own community.
Indicator: Member participation in local and area Homemaker leader training activities. Member support and adoption of service learning projects, supported at the Area and State levels. Members serving in officer or chairperson positions at the Area or State level.
Method: Observation; review of leader training sign – in sheets and evaluation information, documentation of County homemaker participation in Area ad State level activities.
Timeline: 2017-2020
Intermediate outcome: Homemaker members will serve as active volunteers in creating and carrying out, their annual County plan of work; aiding with Family and Consumer Sciences and 4 – H activities and conducting service projects that benefit the community.
Indicator: Member volunteer service hour log records, members and club applications to the KEHA VSU award program, 4 – H and FCS volunteer sign – in sheets, County Homemaker Council Plan of Work and sign – in sheets from
Method: Observation, review and documentation of Volunteer service data sources as listed in Indicators above.
Timeline: 2017 - 2020
Initial outcome: Metcalfe Co. Homemakers will increase their knowledge regarding the connection between the local Homemakers organization, the area organization of Mammoth Cave and the State level organization, KY Extension Homemakers Association and the opportunities available to them as members, to serve beyond their own community.
Indicator: Member participation in local and area Homemaker leader training activities. Member support and adoption of service learning projects, supported at the Area and State levels. Members serving in officer or chairperson positions at the Area or State level.
Method: Observation; review of leader training sign – in sheets and evaluation information, documentation of County homemaker participation in Area ad State level activities.
Timeline: 2017-2020
Intermediate outcome: Homemaker members will serve as active volunteers in creating and carrying out, their annual County plan of work; aiding with Family and Consumer Sciences and 4 – H activities and conducting service projects that benefit the community.
Indicator: Member volunteer service hour log records, members and club applications to the KEHA VSU award program, 4 – H and FCS volunteer sign – in sheets, County Homemaker Council Plan of Work and sign – in sheets from
Method: Observation, review and documentation of Volunteer service data sources as listed in Indicators above.
Timeline: 2017 - 2020
Audience: 4-H Volunteers
Project or Activity: 4-H Volunteer Orientation
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office, Volunteers
Date: Fall
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Officer Orientation
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office
Date: Fall
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Club meetings
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office
Date: on going
Audience: 4-H Council
Project or Activity: Monthly Meetings
Content or Curriculum: Volunteer Development
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office, Community Partners, Volunteers
Date: Monthly meetings
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office, Volunteers
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Metcalfe County TAG
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agent, Extension Office, Community Partners
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: Metcalfe County Homemakers and community members
Project or Activity: History of Handkerchiefs HLT
Content or Curriculum: MCA FCS Agent compiled lesson materials, related
Extension or Historic Society materials
Inputs: Agent time, Homemaker lesson leader and member volunteer time,
Lesson and meeting space, provided by Extension office
Date: 5/31/2018
Audience: Metcalfe County Residents interested in sustainable gardening
and community gardening
Project or Activity: Metcalfe County Extension Sustainable Community
Garden Project and establishment of Community garden vegetable, flower
and herb seed bank
Content or Curriculum: SNAP Gardening curriculum; FCS and ANR
Extension Horticulture Publications; USDA materials
Inputs: Barren River Health Department and Appalachian Region
Commission Flex E Grant funds; FCS and ANR County Agent time; SNAP-
Ed program Assistant time; grant paid consultant/project manager time;
community member volunteer time, in-kind newspaper PR; Extension
District Board Property for garden space; Metcalfe Co. Extension District
Budget funds for project implementation (to be fully reimbursed by Flex
E Grant funds in July and October 2017, Extension farmer’s Market
pavilion storage space for garden tools, seed matches and storage
envelopes from Seed Savers, SNAP incentive items, SNAP
reimbursement funds, Extension Agent program funds, Extension office
water source and copying.
Audience: Metcalfe County Homemaker Volunteers
Project or Activity: 10 annual Homemaker Club meetings (4 traditional Homemaker clubs currently organized, 1 special interest Quilting club and Homemaker members at large).
Content or Curriculum: Extension needlework, sewing, quilting and heritage craft resources, monthly Homemaker Leader Training materials, other Extension publications, research based programs from partner organizations such as Alzheimer’s Know the 10 Signs, Alzheimer’s Association.
Inputs: Homemaker volunteers, Extension Agent, Extension Office space and resources such as copying, Community Partners.
Date: Ongoing, 2017 – 2020
Audience: Metcalfe County Homemaker Volunteers
Project or Activity: 5-6 annual Homemaker County Council meetings attended by the County officers, chairmen and Club presidents.
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association manual, by-laws and constitution; Mammoth Cave Area Homemakers manual, by-laws and constitution; Metcalf Co. Homemakers by-laws and constitution; Metcalfe Co. Homemakers Annual budget; minutes from previous meetings, Robert’s Rules of Order; IRS financial and fundraising guidelines for 501 – C 3 organizations.
Inputs: Homemaker volunteers, Extension Agent, Extension Office space and resources such as copying, Community Partners.
Date: Ongoing, 2017 – 2020
Audience: Metcalfe County Homemaker Volunteers
Project or Activity: Annual fundraiser activities to support the annual Homemaker provided college scholarship, 4 – H camp scholarships, donation to the Metcalfe County Library summer reading project and the University of Kentucky and KEHA Ovarian Cancer Research and Screening project.
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association manual, by-laws and constitution, Mammoth Cave Area Homemakers manual, by-laws and constitution; Metcalf Co. Homemakers by-laws and constitution; Metcalfe Co. Homemakers Annual budget; IRS financial and fundraising guidelines for 501 – C 3 organizations.
Inputs: Homemaker volunteers, Extension Agent, Extension Office space and resources such as copying, Community Partners.
Date: Ongoing, 2017 - 2020
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum
Metcalfe County 4-H Blasting Barrels success through teaching firearm safety. Volunteers play an essential role in many educational programs throughout the Cooperative Extension Service. In the past year certified Shooting Sports volunteers have been dedicated to the youth of Metcalfe County to educate them on firearm safety along the way the youth have also competed in four shooting contest.The certified shooting sports volunteers in Metcalfe County and shooting sports youth have stepped
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
4-H has made an impact on this student’s life by helping her to develop overall leadership skills as well as knowledge of the dairy animal, the dairy industry, and its benefit to her future.This student began her 4-H education, by participating in the County Ham project at the age of nine, where she was the State Champion in her age division. She has since participated in Dairy Showing, Dairy Judging, Public Speaking, Dairy Jeopardy, Dairy U, and State Dairy Cow Camp.At an early age she at
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Research suggests distinctive characteristics of young adolescents (middle school aged youth) regarding their physical, cognitive, moral, psychological, and social-emotional development, as well as spiritual development (Scales, 2010). Young adolescents (middle school aged youth) warrant educational experiences and schools that are organized to address their physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, spiritual, and social developmental characteristics (Caskey & Anfara, 2
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Empowering Community Leaders (general)
The Metcalfe County Quilters Group was officially organized in 2014 by the (now outgoing) Treasurer of the Metcalfe County Homemakers Association, in order to share the heritage craft and art of quilting within our community and to allow our experienced quilters and fiber artists, to foster quilting and sewing skills in interested novice or inexperienced community members. At least 4 adult members and 1 youth who had no experience with quilting when they started participating, have all now made