Extension
It Starts With Us
Building Strong Families through Life Skill Development
Youth and Family Life Skills
Kelly Burgess, Anna Meador, Adam Huber
Family and Consumer Science
Science, Engineering, and Technology
Financial Education - General
Family Development General
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014-2018), parents with children between the ages of 6-17 spent less than 50 minutes a day providing primary childcare and even less time dedicated to play and educational activities. We know that just as play and educational activities prepare young children to enter school, youth development opportunities prepare teens to enter college or the workforce. In the United States, only 1/3 of high school seniors are college-ready, and 1/3 are work-ready according to Kentucky Student Transitions (2016-2017). In Kentucky, 54.7% of high school students enter college after graduation, 5% pursue technical training, 3% join the military, 23.4% begin work, and 13.8% categorize their post-secondary activities as “other” per the Kentucky Department of Education (2019).
The goal of providing opportunities for families to spend quality time together in formal and informal play and educational settings is to have more students who are college and career ready after high school graduation, as well as increase current graduation rates (81% in Allen County, census.gov). This will serve as a path for Allen County to build a diverse economy that emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurship and small business development. In Allen County, there is a need to develop, train, and create a workforce that is prepared to safely work with the rapidly changing technology in order to create a promising future for individuals and the local community.
- Youth & Adults will adopt recommendations
- Life style practices to maximize household assets and improve financial security
- Youth & Adults will access technology & use safely
- Youth apply life-skills in daily life
- Create a budget and/ or long-term financial plan
- Demonstrate correct self-care skills
- Participate in one or more family community events
- Plan a garden for aesthetic or food production to improve property value
- Sponsor a piggy bank competition
- Complete a STEM coding project
- Explore career pathways and engage in hands-on life-skill activities
- Distinguish wants/needs or fixed expenses
- Name three or more family activities
- List three ways to improve yard or garden
- Recognize spending habits
- Understand use of technology
Initial Outcome:Youth have learned about and can apply practical life-skills (leadership, financial education, career development, cooking, 4-H Skills, etc.) obtained in Extension Program in their daily life.
Indicator: Number of youth who indicated they like to learn new things, Number of youth who applied the skills they learned in 4-H to home, school, or community, Number of youth who indicated they are willing to work hard on something difficult, Number of youth who indicated they keep trying until they reach their goals, Number of youth use knowledge & skills they learned from 4-H SET programs in daily life.
Method: Combination of Annual Common Measures Evaluation and Matching Program Survey Indicators
Timeline: Annually, beginning winter 2021
Intermediate Outcome:Youth and Families can apply financial education and spending smarts in their daily lives through budgeting and need vs. wants assessments.
Indicator: Number of individuals who identify their needs and wants and secure needs first, Number of individuals who demonstrate skill in listing their expenses and income and totaling each, Number of individuals reporting improved knowledge (such as knowledge of ways to reduce expenses; cut spending; and save for emergencies)
Method: Match Program Indicators with Reality Store, Dollars & Sense and Piggy Bank Challenge Evaluations
Timeline: Annually, beginning spring 2021
Long-term Outcome: Youth and families to increase planned family-time and increased communications through intentional parent/child family bonding baking/grilling activities.
Indicator: Number of youth who indicated they are connected to a caring adult, Number of individuals who reported preparing more healthy home-cooked meals, Number of individuals who reported eating more healthy foods, Number of individuals who report intention to cook more, Number of individuals reporting improved knowledge, opinions, skills, or aspirations regarding the safe storage, handling, and preparation of food
Method: Combination of Annual Common Measures Evaluation and Matching Program Survey Indicators
Timeline: Annually, beginning spring 2022
Audience: Families with youth ages 5-17
Project or Activity: Mothers & Kids Bake Together Event
/Fathers and Kids Grill Together Event
Content or Curriculum: Family Focused Cooking, 4-H 101-104 Cooking Series
Inputs: 4-H Agent, FCS Agent, ANR Agent, Kitchen, Cooking Supplies, Volunteers, Grills
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Project or Activity: Family Fishing Event
Content or Curriculum: Fishing Basics and Safety
Inputs: 4-H Agent, ANR Agent, FCS Agent, Partnership with Barren River, Fishing Supplies, Volunteers, Grills, Transportation, Sound system
Date: Summer 2021, Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024
Audience:4-H and School Age Youth
Project or Activity: Computer Safety & Coding
Content or Curriculum: National 4-H Code Your World & Code Name Home Alone: Cracking the Code Online Safety
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Curriculum Kit, Volunteers, Computer Lab/Computers
Date: Spring/Summer 2021
Project or Activity: Dollars & Sense Program
Content or Curriculum: Dollars & Sense Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Curriculum, Volunteers, Posters/Props, Vol. Meals
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Project or Activity: Reality Store Program
Content or Curriculum: Reality Store Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Curriculum, Volunteers, Posters/Props, Vol. Meals
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Audience: Boys & Girls Club Participants
Project or Activity: Life Skill Development Lessons & Gardening
Content or Curriculum: Various 4-H/ANR/FCS/NEP Curriculum
Inputs: ANR Agent, FCS Agent, 4-H Agent, NEP Assistant, Lessons Supplies, Gardening Equipment
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Audience: High School Students
Project or Activity: Piggy Bank Contest
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Saves, Money Wise
Inputs: FCS Agent, School & Local Sponsors, Curriculum, Awards
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Leadership
The 4-H Organization is founded with the purpose of helping youth develop the four H’s of 4-H: Head, Heart, Hands and Health. Throughout a 4-H member’s experience, members develop each of these four foundational H’s through club, project and service activities in their county 4-H program. Allen County 4-H’er, Kierra Owens, has taken those four elements and applied each to her senior 4-H service project called, The Storybook Trial. Over the course of two
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Leadership
What first started as a regular monthly 4-H Boredom Buster Kit activity to keep 4-H members engaged during COVID, turned into a county wide 4-H service project benefiting many families in Allen County. Novembers Boredom Buster Activity Kit encouraged youth to turn their fleece into no-sew blankets and return these completed blankets to be donated to Allen County Scottsville School’s Together for Christmas Gift Drive. Not only did our youth learn and apply a new skills, but they
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Natural Resources
The pandemic of 2020 brought our entire nation to a screeching halt. Except for first responders, the United States and much of the world were on lock-down for much of the spring and summer. As summer turned into fall and the end of COVID-19 not in sight, a group of agents banded together to see how they could continue to meet the needs of their 4-H clientele. These efforts were led and organized by Allen County 4-H Agent, Anna Meador and Warren County 4-H Agent, Janet Turley. And t
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Leadership
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down programming in March 2020 youth, families, and communities experienced long-term isolation and alteration of their typical lives related to in and out of school activities. Youth out-of-school time programs, such as 4-H, are essential ecological assets and their disruption during the pandemic may have a major impact on youth’s developmental pathways (Ettekal & Aganas, 2020). For many youth COVID-19 will be the defining issue of their lives
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: 21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
4-H’s positive youth development programs strive to make the best better through building leadership and life-skills today and growing the future leaders of tomorrow. Through participation in 4-H programs, youth are engaged in hands-on experiential learning opportunities geared towards improving one’s personal health, expanding one’s content knowledge, developing one’s life-skills, building one’s leadership and encouraging one’s involvement in their comm
