Extension
It Starts With Us
Promoting Life skills
Youth and Families
Kenna Knight. Shelley Meyer, Lindie Huffman
Nutrition and Food Systems General
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Community Leadership Development
Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Situation: Developing life skills occurs throughout an individual’s lifespan beginning in early childhood. Skills developed can help mold and shape an individual from adolescent to adulthood with talents and interests that could help determine decisions and life choices made throughout a person’s lifespan. Educating youth, adults, and families on multiple areas of life skills and good decision making skills is an area that the Pendleton County Cooperative Extension Office strives to include in their annual program plans. These program areas include but are not limited to: leadership, communication, credit management, basic living skills, social skills, kinship, parenting, survival sills, first aid/CPR, support for families with disabled children, early childhood development, bullying, prevention awareness, suicide prevention, and fire & water safety.
The recent statewide needs assessment identified substance use prevention and recovery as the most urgent priority for Cooperative Extension. Moreover, substance use was the focal point of the CES Advisory Council Meeting in early 2019. Taken together, youth KIP survey data and data from the CES needs assessment demonstrate the need to address substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities.
- Pendleton County communities’ health and economy are strengthened through strong local organizational leadership
- Pendleton County youth are actively becoming our leaders of tomorrow
- Community problems are solved through active engaged local leaders
- Care for the physical and mental health and well-being of each individual over the long term
- Build personal strengths and self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
- Foster the optimal development of children and youth
- Practice parental leadership skills
- Access community resources when needed
- Become volunteers to make their community a better place for everyone
- The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
- Changed public perception of substance use via stigma reduction.
- Youth and adults gain confidence in their ability to lead a group or take ownership of implementing local solutions
- Youth and adults learn the qualities of a good leader and practice those skills in their communities through groups, organizations, club, etc.
- Increase the number of people who improve skills in communication and problem solving in addressing organizational issues and needs and implementing solutions
- Set and used family rules, routines and spend more time together
- Reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about money, time, long range plans, substance abuse, treatment of others, daily activities etc.
- Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships and be successful in life endeavors
- Access community agencies when needed
- Engage in community outreach activities
- Reduced stigma from local community members
- Increased Opioid Stewardship (less rx’ing by doctors, appropriate Rx disposal, drug takebacks, etc.)
- Delayed age of first use among Kentucky youth
- KEHA, ANR, 4-H, FCS, District Board and CEC Advisory Council members increase knowledge and skills in organizational leadership
- Youth are inspired to take on leadership roles in youth organization to further build on characteristics of a good leader for when they become adults
- Commits to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines
- Intends to manage stress; make time for self; listen, talk, bond with family members; read with child daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.
- Verbalizes realistic behavior expectations
- Discusses discipline vs. punishment, and preventive and positive discipline techniques
- Intends to contact community agencies for assistance
- Intends to participate in volunteer activities
- Teach Life Skills to youth in all grade levels
- Provide alternative activities for youth to participate in
- Increased knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery (or related subject matter)
- Increased ability to use destigmatized language
- Improved social skills and/or self-efficacy in KY youth
Evaluation:
Long-term Outcome:
•A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly
•Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily
•Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating
•Improvement in the mental health and wellbeing of Pendleton County
•Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension
•Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
Indicator: Kentucky/Pendleton County Healthcare profiles, Kentucky by the Numbers data, community health care surveys and Kentucky/Pendleton County health facts
Method: Observation, reviewing data annually, community data collection from physicians and community health fair and screening data numbers as reported
Timeline: Annually
Intermediate Outcomes:
•Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
•Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age
•Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors
•Community members advocate for policy Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
•Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Indicator: Policy changes made, more walkable areas in county, increase participation in intramural sports, and active athletic park and community park, increase purchases at Farmer’s Market, healthier choices on local menus, more families preparing food at home and access to healthy food choices more readily available
Method: Observation, pre and post program survey, tracking of farmer’s market traffic, and data from schools in regards to participation and physical activity.
Timeline: throughout the year and as programs are shared
Initial Outcome:
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
•Healthy lifestyle choices
•Childhood and youth obesity
•Adult weight management
•Healthy aging
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
•Policies that that reduce the level of obesity
•Reduction of chronic disease
Indicator: Number of individuals reporting Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices.
Method: Observation, pre and post program survey of programs
Timeline: throughout the year and as programs are shared
Learning Opportunities:
Audience: Families, pre-school, seniors, youth, volunteers, small businesses and community leaders
Project or Activity: Enhance personal leadership capacity and build organizational leadership curriculum
4-H D3 Teen Council (all year) 4-H
4-H D3 Middle School Retreat (December) 4-H
4-H D3 Teen Retreat (January) 4-H
4-H Teen Club (all year) 4-H
4-H Middle School Club (fall, winter & spring) 4-H
4-H Camp Counselors (summer) 4-H
Livestock Judging (Jan-June) 4-H
Skillathon (Jan-Feb) 4-H
4-H Officer/Leadership Training (fall) 4-H
Camp Counselor Training (spring) 4-H
4-H Recognition Banquet (October) 4-H
Capitol Experience (March) 4-H
4-H Young Rider officers (all year) 4-H
4-H Photography officers (all year) 4-H
Junior Livestock Committee (all year) 4-H
Livestock Committee (all year) 4-H
4-H Council (all year) 4-H
4th and 5th Grade speeches (March) 4-H
4-H Communication Contest (March) 4-H
Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference (September) 4-H
Teen Conference (June) 4-H
Shooting Sports Certification (Oct & March) 4-H
Livestock Certification (Nov & Dec) 4-H
Teacher Appreciation Banquet (Aug) 4-H, FCS, Ag
Farmer’s Market – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Cattleman’s – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Kentucky Women in Ag - Throughout the year (ANR)
NKY Homesteaders - Throughout the year (ANR)
NKY Ag Leadership - Fall/Winter 2019-2020 (ANR)
Bee Keepers Association – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Homemakers Council (monthly) FCS
Area Homemaker Council Chairman (four times a year) FCS
Homemaker Annual Awards and Recognition Meeting (September) FCS
Homemaker Officer and Chairman Training (August) FCS
Homemaker State Meeting (May) FCS
District Board trainings and meeting (July - June) FCS, 4-H, ANR
CEC Meeting and training three times a year - FCS, ANR, 4-H
CEC sponsored event May 2019 - ANR, FCS, 4-H
Ag Council (Quarterly) ANR
FCS Advisory Council
Fair Board (all year) 4-H, FCS, ANR
Tourism Council (Monthly) FCS ANR
Champions for a Drug Free PC Coalition (monthly) FCS
CSA (Community Service Alliance (monthly) FCS, 4-H
CEC Sponsored Dinner Theatre - new clientele outreach
Content or Curriculum:
Homemaker leader lessons
UK publications
USDA Material
4-H STC lessons
Search Institute Material
KELD
CEDIK
Council bylaws
Homemaker leader lessons
UK publications
USDA Material
Farmer’s Market – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Cattleman’s – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Kentucky Women in Ag - Throughout the year (ANR)
NKY Homesteaders - Throughout the year (ANR)
NKY Ag Leadership - Fall/Winter 2019-2020 (ANR)
Bee Keepers Association – Throughout the Year (ANR)
Inputs: 4-H Agent, FCS Agent, ANR Agent, Program Assistants, Local Schools, Extension Office, Curriculum listed above, Farmer’s Market, Advisory Councils, Volunteers
Date: throughout the year as dates state above
Project or Activity: Build personal strengths, interpersonal communication and life skills to strengthen youth and families programs or activities to include:
•Homemaker Leader training (August and January) FCS
•Recipe for Life (January – May) FCS
•Operation Preparation (December) FCS, ANR, 4-H
•Community Block Parties (September, May) FCS, ANR, 4H
Truth or Consequences (Spring) FCS, 4-H
Adolescent Brain Training for agents (throughout the year) FCS
Adolescent Brain education for Middle school Students (Each School Semester) FCS, 4H
•Food, Cultural and Plants (Fall and Spring) -4-H, FCS, ANR
•Plant a Promise (Oct and April) FCS, ANR
•Sticker Shock (May) FCS, 4-H
•TEG (October, March) FCS
Student Athlete Prevention Sessions - (each sport season) FCS
•Anti-bullying/Suicide Prevention (Fall) FCS, 4-H
•Photography (September- July) 4-H
•Clover Buds (monthly) 4-H
•District Middle School Retreat (December) 4-H
•Teen Summit (March) 4-H
•Teen Conference (June) 4-H
•Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference (September) 4-H
•District Teen Retreat (January) 4-H
•Issues Conference (November) 4-H
•Livestock Judging (Jan-June) 4-H
•Skillathon (Jan-Feb) 4-H
•Young Riders (Sept- July) 4-H
•Rabbits & Chicken Club (Sept-July) 4-H
•Wool Fest (October) 4-H, FSC
•Reality Store (Fall) 4-H
College Ready Fair (Fall) FCS, 4-H
•4-H Recognition Banquet (October) 4-H
•County Fair and livestock shows (July) 4-H
•Fashion Show (April) 4-H
•Capitol Experience (March) 4-H
•Shooting Sports; Archery (biweekly) 4-H
•Shooting Sports; Shotgun (April-September) 4-H
•Shooting Sports; .22 Rifle (April- September) 4-H
•Sprouts – May to November (ANR)
Early Childhood Carnival - April (FCS)
Content or Curriculum:
•Homemaker Leader Lessons
•UK publications
•USDA Material
Audience: Audience: Families, pre-school, seniors, youth, volunteers
Project or Activity: Acquiring basic Life skills as related to Family and Consumer Science programs and activities that will include:
•Quilt Club (monthly) FCS
•Adult Sewing (weekly) FCS
•Winter Wonderland (November) FCS
•Sewing Expo (April) FCS
•Cultural Arts Classes (quarterly) FCS
•4-H Sewing (weekly for October- April) 4-H
•4-H Crocheting (biweekly for October- April) 4-H
•Project Days (fall and spring break) 4-H
Author: Shelley Meyer
Major Program: Science, Engineering, and Technology
COVID-19 hit and brought the traditional 4-H and extension programming to a halt in March of 2020. With 4-H clubs, school programs, and spring and summer activities being unable to finish out their program year face-to-face, Pendleton County 4-H hastily worked to bring about virtual opportunities that would allow the youth of Pendleton County to continue to learn and develop educational skills from the comfort and safety of their homes.Some of the early efforts to carry on youth programming in a
Author: Kenna Knight
Major Program: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Research shows that SEL not only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students (Durlak et al., 2011).Based on the research The Pendleton County Champions Coalition/ Extension Office used an evidence based program to build Pendleton County Elementary teachers and staff skills on implementing social emotional le
Author: Shelley Meyer
Major Program: Civic Engagement
The 4-H youth organization strives to teach and mold youth development to help grow them into successful and caring members of society. Four key concepts of youth development essential elements identified by researchers include mastery, independence, belonging, and generosity. Pendleton County, Kentucky 4-H has practiced the “generosity” element on more than one occasion. Kress defines generosity as the opportunity to value and practice service to others (Kress, 2004). The 4-H motto:
Author: Shelley Meyer
Major Program: Leadership
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2021 Kentucky 4-H Summit could not be implemented in the typical face-to-face format. Kentucky 4-H Program volunteers, members, and professionals decided, based on current events and fundamental developmental needs, that middle school youth needed the opportunity to connect to others and practice their leadership skills through 4-H. If adolescents are to develop the skills necessary for adulthood, they must learn basic skills for everyday life (Carnegie Coun
Author: Lindie Huffman
Major Program: Cook Wild Kentucky
The Pendleton County Cooperative Extension Office was approached by our local game warden, Scott Horn, wanting to offer the Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry opportunity in our county. FCS & ANR partnered together to establish a Hunters for the Hungry program in Pendleton County. An estimated 684,000 people live in poverty in the Commonwealth.One in every four Kentucky children is living in poverty. In some counties, as many as 55% of children are living in poverty.Kentucky ranks fifth in
