Providing Positive Youth Development Opportunities for the Youth of Nelson CountyPlan of Work

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Nelson County CES

Title:
Providing Positive Youth Development Opportunities for the Youth of Nelson County
MAP:
4-H Youth Discovery, Life Education & Positive Development
Agents Involved:
Hagler & Howard
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Science, Engineering, and Technology
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Camping
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Communications and Expressive Arts
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Family and Consumer Science
Situation:

In the fall of 2018, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service began a statewide assessment of community issues and priorities from across the Commonwealth. County Extension offices led the effort by collecting feedback from various county residents, stakeholders, and organizations. Each county collected feedback through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with community stakeholders. In Nelson County, 469 respondents ranked 62 community issues on a scale of “very important” to “not important.”

One of the top priorities identified in the children and families category was a need for activities youth of all ages and more youth life skills training (money management, life decision making, etc.).  Nelson County 4-H Provides a wide range of positive youth development opportunities within our county, and the 4-H advisory council has consistently recognized a need for focus on STEM, Camping, Communications and FCS program areas. 

SET

 According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 2017 STEM Jobs Update, Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers help drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas and new companies.  STEM knowledge also has other benefits; while often very specialized, it can be transferred to a wide variety of careers, particularly management occupations, while increased technology in the workplace means that, to handle non-repetitive tasks, workers need the critical thinking and technical skills that come with STEM training.  In the United States, there were nearly 8.6 million STEM jobs in 2015, an increase of 10.5% from 2009 while non-STEM occupations grew only 5.2% in that same period. (Fayer, 2017) and STEM occupations are projected to grow by 8.9 percent from 2014 to 2024, compared to 6.4 percent growth for non-STEM occupations (Noonan, 2017).  Keeping these opportunities in mind, the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program strives to increase STEM literacy among youth in Kentucky to help fill the need for a diverse pool of STEM literate individuals to meet expanding job opportunities. Kentucky 4-H provides SET education opportunities by engaging youth in hands-on, interdisciplinary educational experiences that foster an increased understanding and appreciation Science, Technology, Engineering and Applied Mathematics. Programs and projects are offered in the areas of aerospace, biotechnology, computer science, energy and electricity, robotics, physical sciences and petroleum power.

4-H Camping

Nelson County 4-H has had generations of 4-Hers participate in their 4-H camping program. The mission of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to improve people through intentional life skill development. In Nelson County, summer educational and social program opportunities are limited in comparison to neighboring urban communities.  Although many churches host camps and bible schools and there are some sports camps, there are fewer summer programs available to our youth.  The Nelson County 4-H camping program seeks to provide youth with a safe opportunity to learn life skills, create meaningful relationships with pees and volunteers, to learn new skills and to give back to their communities through service learning. 

Communications and Expressive Arts

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 Communication & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capacities.  This in turn creates a solid foundation for positive youth development (Jones, K. R. 2006) Research also shows a positive association between arts participation and a number of desirable academic and social outcomes, such as school grades, test scores, enrollment in post-secondary education, attainment of a bachelor’s degree, and higher levels of literacy and civic engagement. (Child Trends, 2012) Kentucky 4-H provides communication and expressive arts by engaging youth in hands-on educational experiences that inspire confidence and foster a love for the arts.  Programs and projects are offered in the areas of public speaking, visual arts, and performing arts.

Family and Consumer Science

As we progress in to the 21st century a number of factors have gained prevalence within Family and Consumer Science driven by the increase of online and mobile shopping, the rise of video based at home tutorials, and the shifting family structures as evident by 17% of stay-at-home parents being fathers. The ever changing landscape of the family and the consumer highlights the need for a responsive and innovative FCS program while also providing the basic needs that all families have as they navigate lives many challenges. Kentucky 4-H Seeks to meet these needs through working with youth and families in a variety of situations to increase their consumer awareness, financial management, nutrition, culinary arts, textiles, housing, and human development.

Long-Term Outcomes:

4-H STEM

  • Youth will increase STEM literacy in the general population
  • Youth will innovate in addressing social problems and situations using STEM
  • Youth will increase the number and diversity of individuals pursuing educational opportunities and careers in STEM related fields
  • Youth will increase and diversify the pool of trained STEM educators and employees.
  • Youth will utilize the skills gained to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations;

4-H Camping

  • Youth will use skills learned in the camping program to serve as volunteers or staff in the Kentucky 4-H Camping program.
  • Youth will seek job opportunities in fields of interest discovered through the camping program. 

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts

  • Youth share the elements of the music, dance, drama and visual arts with their community
  • Youth will be advocates for the arts

Family and Consumer Science

  • Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members
  • Gain and maintain employment through life skill development
  • Contribute to a safe and healthy home and community. 


Intermediate Outcomes:

4-H STEM

4-H Camping

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts

Family and Consumer Science

Initial Outcomes:

4-H STEM

4-H Camping

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts

Family and Consumer Science

Evaluation:

Outcome to be Evaluated:

Indicator of Success for Outcome:

Method of Evaluation:

Timeline:

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth of Nelson County and 4-H members

Project or Activity: 4-H SET Programs: Schools Enrichment, 4-H NYSD, Robotics Club, Electricity Programs, Physics Zoo

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H SET Core Curriculum Resources

Inputs: Program materials, meeting space, volunteers

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Youth of Nelson County and 4-H members

Project or Activity: 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts: Public Speaking, Visual Arts

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum Resources

Inputs: Program materials, judges, volunteers, meeting, contest space, incentive items.

Date: Holiday Card Contest- Nov., Written Communications Contest- January, Poster Contest- March, Communications Contest- April, State Communications Day- July.


Audience: Youth and Volunteers of Nelson County

Project or Activity: 4-H Camping Program, Summer and Specialty Camps

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H Camping Curriculum Resources

Inputs: Sponsorship, program materials, volunteers, training, camp facilities

Date: Date varies for each camping experience


Audience: Youth of Nelson County and 4-H Members

Project or Activity: School Enrichment, Cooking Club, day camps that feature FCS curriculum

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H FCS Core Curriculum Resources

Inputs: Program materials, meeting space, volunteers

Date: Ongoing



Success Stories

On Target Even During a Pandemic

Author: Marsha Hagler

Major Program: Natural Resources

On Target Even During a Pandemic

Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in our four guiding concepts: mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity. The Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports program prides itself on providing a safe environment for youth to learn and grow in.   The Nelson County 4-H Shooting Sports program was uniquely affected by Covid 19 restrictions. In the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly ended their ability to meet as a club.  Th

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cooking with the community

Author: Marsha Hagler

Major Program: Community Engagement

cooking with the community

Cooking with the Community, a 13 part video series, was a collaborative effort with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, Nelson County 4-H, Nelson County Nutrition Education Program, Nelson County Community Education, the Backpack Weekend Food Program and many community leaders and agencies.  The videos were distributed through social media and community partners from November 2020-May 2021 and are available on the Nelson County Cooperative Extension  webpage at Nelson.ca.

Full Story

2020-2021 4-H Junior Master Cattlemen Program

Author: Hollyn Howard

Major Program: Agriculture

2020-2021 4-H Junior Master Cattlemen Program

From the 2018 census, "Farming, Fishing & Forestry" jobs accounted for only 98 people out of a population of 45,388 for Nelson County. According to other data sites, approximately 254,000 or Nelson County's 271,360 acres is farmland. The Nelson County Community Assessment also lists "More youth life skills training" as a top 10 area of focus. This program was started as a response to these statistics and created to get youth involved within our local agriculture indus

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Bardstown Early Learning Center Goes Virtual with NEP & LEAP

Author: Luke Fries

Major Program: LEAP

The SNAPEd Assistant in Nelson County to serve one of the greatest needs of the county; nutrition and access to healthy and local foods.  In December of 2020, Nelson County FCS Extension, with the support of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the State Nutrition Education Program Office, adapted LEAP programming to a virtual platform.  Under the supervision of the FCS Agent, the SNAPEd Assistant in Nelson County held virtual LEAP classes with Bardstown Early Childhood

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2021 4-H Virtual Sewing Club

Author: Hollyn Howard

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

2021 4-H Virtual Sewing Club

“Sewing is a discipline that helps develop self-esteem, confidence, focus, patience, fine motor skills, problem solving, process thinking and visualization. Additionally, sewing encourages creative ability.” (The Creative Art of Sewing; www.North Jersey.com; September, 13, 2012.) Nelson County was able to re-start their 4-H sewing program in the midst of the pandemic. Even as the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions are now lifting, the changes have taught many agents that programm

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Shorter Term Greater Impact

Author: Marsha Hagler

Major Program: Natural Resources

Shorter Term Greater Impact

In 2021, Covid-19 brought with it many challenges to families including changes in employment, how their children received education and often changes in their finances.  Families found it challenging to make long term plans due to the continually changing safety guidance, school schedules and rescheduling of past postponed events.  Cooperative Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, Danielle Hagler noticed that in the fall fewer families were interested in making long term commitme

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