Acquiring Life SkillsPlan of Work

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McCracken County CES

Title:
Acquiring Life Skills
MAP:
Developing and Enhancing Life Skills
Agents Involved:
Wilson, Wooley, Wimberley, Baysinger, Buckman, Tashjian
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Securing Financial Stability (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Situation:
It is critical for a healthy and sustainable community to have contributing members of society with necessary life skills. Currently in McCracken County there is a need to learn and practice healthy habits, create and live within a budget and form positive relationships with others.
Long-Term Outcomes:
Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
Gain and maintain employment through life-skill development.
Contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family.
Residents utilize the skills gained through education and involvement in Extension programs.
Intermediate Outcomes:
Practice life skills in projects and life situations.
Be responsible consumers and financial decision makers.
Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future.
Initial Outcomes:
Gain knowledge and develop skills that enhance healthy life skills.
Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action.
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Youth and adults learn basic life skills
Indicator: Youth and adults participate in programs, read newsletters with basic skills information.
Method: Attendance, recipients of newsletters.
Timeline: Ongoing


Intermediate Outcome: Increase of self-esteem and life skill abilities
Indicator: Increased availability and request of information and participation in Homemaker projects, FCS workshops and presentations.
Method: Testimonials and/or surveys from all participants.
Timeline: Ongoing


Long-Term Outcome: Increase of self-esteem and life skill abilities enabling youth and adults to increase life skills.
Indicator: Increased participation in Extension programs and/or activities that deal with life skill issues and reaching new clientele.
Method: Testimonials from all participants. 4-H group of youth forms. Increases in life skill programs conducted by 4-H, Horticulture, Agriculture and Family and Consumer Sciences.
Timeline: Ongoing







Learning Opportunities:
Audience: Youth and adults
Activity: Camp, Fashion Show, McCracken County Fair, sewing workshops, food workshops, summer programs, gardening with youth, Juvenile Justice Program, Dog Club, Job Skills Workshops, Art Club, Reality Store, Rotary Luncheon, Coins for Change, Garden Club, Living Well Classes, Money Wise Budgeting Classes, Matters of Life Forums, Parenting Classes.
Content or Curriculum: State 4-H curriculum, UK publications, videos and other research-based information. KEHA manual, UK Specialists, Horticulture Newsletter
Inputs: 4-H Volunteers, RSVP, Homemakers, English's Sewing Center, Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club , Kiwanis, Rotary Club, UK Specialists, UK Specialists, UK Publications, AQS Agriculture Tours, Master Food Volunteers, Early Childhood Publications, Master Food Volunteers, Early Childhood Council and area schools, Councils, Department of Juvenile Justice and Paducah Parks, Purchase District Health Department, Money Smart curriculum, Active Parenting Now Curriculum, Nurturing Families Curriculum, GNEF Works.
Date: August-June





Success Stories

Story Walk Reading Event

Author: Denise Wooley

Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)

Story Walk Reading Event

The UK Cooperative Extension Service is a partner of the Community Early Childhood Council (CECC) in McCracken County. The CECC strives to bring opportunities for preschool aged children to learn and prepare themselves for kindergarten. We are working at a young age to build their "Life Skills" that will last them a lifetime. The following three statements are the goals of the CECC.Every Kentucky child will enter school ready to succeedEvery parent will know what their child needs

Full Story

Public Speaking Changed My Sons Life

Author: Robert Tashjian

Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum

McCracken County 4-H prides itself on the 4-H public speaking program.  Youth create a speech or demonstration which contain 3 key components: the introduction, body and conclusion.  Approximately, 750 youth in 4th through 12th grades annually will write and deliver their personal narrative speeches for their peers and adult judges.  Some flourish and continue going on from school to county, area and finally state competition.  We never truly know what type of impact this can

Full Story

Apprentice Gardeners Training for Inmates at McCracken County Jail

Author: Kathryn Wimberley

Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture

Hort Agent was contacted by the McCracken County Jail in the fall of 2017 about teaching a master gardener class to the local inmates.  Agent assured the sergeant of the sheriff’s department that work would begin on this request.  Agent contacted District Director and UK Master Gardener coordinator to ask the procedure.Agent learned that since inmates cannot work as volunteers and cannot pass background checks in accordance to the McCracken County Master Gardener program, an alte

Full Story

McCracken County 4-H Families Host Japanese Exchange Students With LABO Program

Author: Kimberly Baysinger

Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum

Each day our society continues to change and grow.  With this growth comes a new challenge, teaching the youth in our society that this change can be a wonderful thing.  One way we can help our youth develop an understanding and become more accepting of other cultures and their customs is by allowing them to experience this through hosting an exchange student. This summer McCracken County 4-H had two families that opened their homes to an exchange student from the Japanese LABO Pr

Full Story

Shooting Sports

Author: Robert Tashjian

Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum

McCracken County Hot Shots 4-H Shooting sports program began in 1998 and has blossomed overtime. The 4-H Program averages 80-100 youth per year in the program with approximately 10-15 coaches.  McCracken county is hosting a state wide certification training for adults and teen leaders to become certified coaches.  The Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports program averages 200 coaches per year, but with this addition the program will gain an additional 70 volunteers who will work with youth thro

Full Story

Estate Planning Seminar

Author: Denise Wooley

Major Program: Estate Planning

Estate Planning Seminar

The McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service along with a local elder law attorney and local bank partnered together to host an Estate Planning Seminar. Estate planning is an often overlooked key to financial planning. Many people do not understand tax laws and look for help in such areas thus the seminar is offered to help guide people in the direction they need to go when planning their estate. The seminar has 62 community members attend and learn beneficial information for their plannin

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Super Star Chef

Author: Denise Wooley

Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)

Super Star Chef

The McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the UK summer intern program to host the 3-day Super Star Chef camp to teach 20 kids basics in the kitchen. After attending the 3-day camp that focused on measuring correctly, using a knife,  food safety, my Plate, and hands on cooking the students reported:100%- Demonstrated correct hand washing to remove germs100%-Describe a serving of fruits and vegetables according to My Plate100%-Practiced safe and correct knife skills w

Full Story

Intermediate Sewing Club

Author: Amanda Wilson

Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum

There’s increased need for financial stability in today’s economy. County residents desire the necessary skills to enhance their quality of life. The McCracken County Cooperative Extension service strives to meet the needs of the community weekly. This was done by offering the 4-H Intermediate Sewing Club. Participants have access to knowledgeable volunteers who provide one-on-one sewing instruction. The focus of this report is the each member of the Intermediate Club has t

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