Local Youth Life Skills Development
Life Skills
Laken Campbell, Jacob Brandenburg
Communications and Expressive Arts
Volunteer Development
Leadership
Lee County often falls to the bottom of the list of Kentucky counties in terms of household income indicators, employment rates, and educational attainment. According to Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) 35.7% of Lee County Residents were living in poverty compared to 19.1% state wide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2013 reported a 12.6% unemployment rate in Lee County, and the American Community Survey for Education (ACS) reported that 70.9% of residents age 25 and up had a High School Diploma or less. The wellbeing of families and individuals in Lee County is threatened by an unfavorable economic climate, limited resource management skills, and the lack of many basic life skills. The Lee County 4-H and Extension Councils have identified life skills as an area for concern and focus moving forward in the 4-H Youth Development program for our county. Life skills development opportunities are needed including household management, money management, and affective communication skills.
The workforce in Lee County is strengthened through an increased capacity of individuals to complete employment tasks and basic work place skills.
Families are strengthened through an increased capacity to complete household management tasks, including money management tasks.
Improved quality of life for adults and children as adults become more able to complete daily tasks and manage resources.
Increased support for youth both at home and in the community.
Improved economic climate as community members become more financially responsible and are able to contribute to the economy of the area.
Less debt per household as family members understand and practice appropriate money management skills.
Individuals report increased savings as a result of learning and adopting appropriate money management strategies.
Individuals and families adopt one or more resource management strategies which can be observed by having adequate resources throughout the entire month.
Individuals and families implement one or more new life skill activities to help conserve or contribute resources to their families such as gardening, sewing, cooking, meal planning, etc.
Increased number of individuals accessing local resources and engaging in the community.
Increased knowledge and understanding of appropriate money management strategies and resource management strategies.
Increased participation in life skills workshops (sewing, cooking, gardening, nutrition) resulting in an increased knowledge in respective area.
Long Term Outcome: Improved quality of life and economic climate for individuals and families in Lee County.
Indicator: Increase in the number of clientele reporting improved financial stability, economic well-being, and decision making.
Method: Pre-post tests, observations, and surveys, self-reporting
Timeline: Ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Increased practice of basic life skills.
Indicator: Youth and adults will implement at least 1 new life skill or management strategy in their life.
Method: Pre-post tests, survey, self-reporting
Timeline: End of program, yearly
Initial outcome: Increased knowledge and understanding of basic life skills
Indicator: Participation and completion of life skills workshops and programs.
Method: Pre-post tests, surveys
Timeline: Immediately following program
Audience: Youth Middle and High School
Project or Activity: Middle School Club
Content or Curriculum: Expressive Arts
Inputs:Jacob Brandenburg, Laken Campbell
Date: Fall 2019 Spring 2020
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity:
Content or Curriculum: Superstar Chef, Food Preservation for Youth, 4-H and FCS publications/curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, Extension Staff
Date: Summer 2020/2021
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshops
Content or Curriculum: FCS publications and curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff
Date: Summer-Fall 2019
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Economics/Reality Store
Content or Curriculum: It’s Your Reality/Dollars and Sense, Money Wise
Inputs: Volunteers, Community Partners (FRYSC), Extension Staff
Date: Spring 2020
Audience: High School youth
Project or Activity:Home economics Club
Content or Curriculum: Family consumer science
Inputs: Laken Campbell, Jacob Brandenburg
Date: Fall 2019- Spring 2020
Author: Ted Johnson
Major Program: Agriculture
“As the pandemic hit, the plans for our bi-annual Pumpkin Days was well underway! Traditionally this day encompasses 1500 Headstart, Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grader's attending a day of activities, recipe tasting and stories all centered around pumpkins... they even take a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick their very own pumpkin. As fall approached the hopes of hosting the day in-person at the Robinson Station for Appalachian Resource Sustainability diminished. Agents were deter