Extension
It Starts With Us
Improve leadership skills, strengthen volunteerism, & promote community and economic development.
Empowering Leaders and Strengthening Community
Melissa Goodman, Paula McCuiston, Mattea Mitchell
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Economic Development
Community Strategic Planning
Community Engagement
Economic, social, political, and technological advances in society create a higher demand for people to demonstrate more effective leadership and volunteer skills. Leadership skills, including, communication, managing, decision-making, listening, self-motivation, and understanding-self, etc., are essential. In 2018 over 77.34 million people volunteered their time. The proportion of the population who volunteered in America in 2018 was 30.3 percent. These volunteers service was worth an estimated $167 billion in economic value (Independent Sector). In order for Cooperative Extension to reach Hickman County, leadership skills must be developed in youth and adults to multiply efforts. A focus of Extension will be to build a volunteer base and increase leadership skills.
Hickman County has had a high turnover of small businesses in recent years and many businesses have left. We have many commuter employees. Our unemployment rate was 5% in 2019 which is 1% higher than the KY rate. Our clientele feels it is important for Cooperative Extension to address and facilitate community and economic development, especially in the areas of bringing the community together, leadership development, civic pride, and communication of like-minded organizations.
According to the 2019 Kentucky Extension Community Assessment, Hickman County community members feel it is important to raise up more qualified leaders to prepare the community for the future, involve more citizens in helping solve local issues and improve on the cooperation between community organizations. In regards to jobs and infrastructure, clientele feels that creating more jobs with good wages and benefits, gaining access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet service, and improved responsiveness of emergency services is imperative.
Extension Homemaker organization will become a sustainable volunteer organization in the county.
4-H participants will become contributing members of society.
Phase I Ag Development Council will utilize funds for the betterment of the community as a whole.
The clientele will serve as leaders of other organizations, thus enabling them to identify and address critical issues that directly affect the citizens of the community.
Council members will utilize the leadership skills obtained in the county to provide leadership in Extension organizations in the district, region, state, and nation.
Hickman County would be a sustainable community that thrives together.
Residents will understand the importance of supporting local businesses and organizations.
Residents will work together to create a better Hickman County.
Organizations will accomplish more through collaboration and cooperation.
Arts and Local Tourism as well as the Farmers Market will become viable entities of the community.
Youth and Teens will practice leadership through volunteer opportunities & community service.
Adults will practice leadership through increased volunteerism and taking on leadership roles.
Program councils will become more involved in program planning and leadership of Extension Programming.
Quilt Square Tourism will be marketed by Hickman County residents and businesses.
Participants broaden participation in community service and community events.
Businesses and Community Members will engage and utilize strategic planning.
Hickman County Clientele will internalize civic pride.
Participants will gain an understanding of leadership styles
Participants will acquire decision making skills
Participants understand importance in diversity
Participants learn importance in volunteerism
Participants aspire to increase involvement in leadership roles.
Participants gain knowledge in leadership and communication skills.
Program Council members/CEC will aspire to active participation.
Clientele will increase knowledge of community events and assets through marketing.
Organizational Leaders will increase knowledge and skills for collaboration.
Business and Community Leaders will gain positive opinion and aspirations for strategic planning.
Intermediate Outcome: Youth & teens will take on leadership roles
Indicator: Participants are serving as leaders in the community
Method: Observing, participation, follow-up surveys
Timeline: 2020-2021 Program Year
Intermediate Outcome: Extension Homemakers will take on leadership roles
Indicator: Participation and Roles filled
Method: Observation, participation, follow-up surveys
Timeline: 2020-2021 Program Year
Intermediate: Participants will increase knowledge of leadership skills
Indicator: Knowledge of leadership skills
Method: Pre/Post Assessment
Timeline: 2020-2021 Program Year
Intermediate Outcome: Increased Communication Among Organizations in Hickman County
Indicator: Positive Correlations of questions on a survey
Method: Survey and Word of Mouth
Timeline: Spring 2021
Initial Outcome: Participation in Western KY Quilt Trail
Indicator: Number with Quilt Sq. on Barn/Business
Method: Survey
Timeline: Program Year 2020-2021
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Youth Entrepreneurship w/DIY Club
Content or Curriculum: Be the “E”, Agent provided curriculum
Inputs: Extension Agents
Date: 2020-2021 school year
Audience: Youth, Adults Families
Project or Activity: Spring Chicken Festival
Content or Curriculum: Community Involvement, CEDIK Resources: Tourism
Inputs: Chamber of Commerce, Volunteers/Collaborators, Agents
Date: Spring Annually
Audience: Community and Small Businesses
Project or Activity: Shop Local Campaign
Content or Curriculum: Agent Provided
Inputs: Chamber of Commerce, Local Businesses
Date: Program Year 2020-21
Audience: Teens and Adults
Project or Activity: Work Ready Soft Skills and Workforce Prep Workshop
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Career Exploration, Workforce Readiness Curriculum, Positive Employability
Inputs: Workforce Development Board, Extension Staff, County Gov't, Hickman County HS
Date: Spring 2021
Audience: High School Freshmen
Project or Activity: Chamber Youth Leadership Program
Content or Curriculum: YELP, KELD, CEDIK Resources, FCS Empowering Leaders Resources, Community Strategic Planning
Inputs: Chamber of Commerce, Extension, Community Education, High School, Local Businesses and Gov't
Date: Program year 2020-2021
Audience: General Population
Project or Activity: Hickman County Quilt Trail
Content or Curriculum: KY Arts Council
Inputs: KY Arts Council, Hickman County Arts Council, GRRO, Tourism Resources
Date: Program year 2020-2021
Audience: General Population and Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Hickman County Extension Homemakers
Content or Curriculum: KEHA, FCS Material
Inputs: KEHA, FCS
Date: Program Year 2020-2021
Audience: Youth / Community Members
Project or Activity: Community Service Day
Content or Curriculum: The Leader in Me, Unlock Your Leadership Potential
Inputs: Extension Staff, Family Resource Coordinator, Community Education Director, School Faculty, Master Gardeners, Library, Community Volunteers
Date: Fall 2020 / Spring 2021
Author: Paula McCuiston
Major Program: Science, Engineering, and Technology
Virtual 4-H Project DaysOn March 16, 2020 the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service began a quick transition to remote working conditions due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Although programming with youth became difficult, the Hickman County 4-H Agent and the 21st CCLC Grant Program Coordinator partnered and developed a way to reach and involve youth in the county in a week full of 4-H projects. “Project Days in a Box” seemed to be a simpler way to involve
Author: Melissa Goodman
Major Program: First Impressions
The Hickman County Judge-Executive and Fiscal Court and community organizations such as Chamber, Rotary, Economic Development, and Master Gardeners have made a concerted effort in recent years to beautify Clinton-Hickman County. Beautification of court square, public parks, and some sidewalk/plantings have all resulted from this effort, but community leaders believed there were still some missing pieces to the progress puzzle.During a community development meeting, the challenges to further impr
