Extension
It Starts With Us
Develop and Strengthen Leadership and Life Skills
Develop and Strengthen Leadership and Life Skills
Amanda Sears, Brandon Sears, Aubrey Lawson, Scott Darst, Jessica Hunley
Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
Leadership
Family and Consumer Science
Master Gardener
According to the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Madison County Report (2019), the top priority issues for youth and families were: more youth life skills training (money management, life decision making) and better family skills in reducing debt, increasing savings and financial planning. There were also top priorities identified impacting leadership, including more qualified leaders to prepare community for the future, more youth community leadership opportunities, and more citizens helping to solve local issues. From this same report, focus groups identified life skills education and workforce readiness as two of the top five priorities.
Youth will contribute to self, family, community and to the institutions of our society. Youth will obtain the communication and life skills needed to enter the workplace and/or institution of higher learning and lead successful lives. Youth will serve as teen and adult leaders in their communities, community organizations, environmental stewards, and as mentors for younger youth.
Master gardeners will assist with programming and lead classes in the community
Youth will set and achieve goals, develop a positive bond with a caring adult who believe in their success and apply the life skills learned in 4-H in other activities at home, school and in the community.
Volunteers and leaders practice personal leadership skills in clubs, schools and community outreach, improve skills in communication, problem solving, or group process in addressing organizational issues and needs and apply skills to assess needs, develop programs and implement solutions for community problems.
Master Gardeners will coordinate Madison County Master Gardener Club.
Farmer's market leaders will guide their markets during the season.
Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the decision-making process, and develop life skills. They will also will increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator. Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
Clientele increase knowledge and skills in personal leadership.
Residents will understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being, and will learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Master Gardeners will learn horticulture skills.
Future Madison County leaders participate in Leadership Madison County to learn about the local agriculture economy.
Work early in season with farmer's market leaders to establish plan for season.
Outcome: Youth will obtain the communication and life skills needed to enter the workplace and/or institution of higher learning/trade school to lead successful lives
Indicator: Percentage of students who successfully complete the Dollars and Sense Program ad Reality Store Program with a positive bank balance.
Method: 4-H Dollar and Sense Activity Summary Sheet, Reality Store Activity Record Sheet
Timeline: At the end of the program.
Outcome: Youth will obtain the communication and life skills needed to enter the workplace and/or institution of higher learning/ trade schools to lead successful lives
Indicator: Percentage of students who successfully prepare and deliver a 4-H speech or demonstration. Number of students who earn a blue ribbon based on the quality of their presentation overall.
Method: 4-H Speech or Demonstration Score Sheet
Timeline: At the end of the program.
Outcome: Youth will set and achieve goals, develop a positive relationship with a caring adult and apply the life skills learned in 4-H in other activities at home, school and in the community.
Indicator: Number of youth who successfully complete a 4-H project/activity.
Method: Observation at programs
Timeline: At the end of the program.
Outcome: Youth will learn to read and follow instructions while developing skills in Family and Consumer Sciences projects and programs.
Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they followed instructions step-by step to do or make things themselves (i.e. recipes).
Method: End of program surveys, observation of completed work
Timeline: Throughout project work, conclusion of the program
Outcome: Master Clothing volunteers practice personal leadership skills in
workshops and community outreach and improve communication and program planning skills.
Indicator: MCV teach workshops and create community projects that improve
skills of participants and serve a need in the community.
Method: MCV reports and class evaluations
Timeline: As projects and classes are completed
Outcome: Leadership Madison County program graduates develop opportunities in local leadership roles
Indicator: Number of graduates who become involved in or are selected for positions of leadership.
Method:Identify past graduates who serve in leadership roles with various local and regional organizations, businesses, elected offices, or agribusinesses/commodity groups.
Timeline: Annually
Outcome: Master gardeners will assist with programming such as county fair and farmer's market events.
Indicator: Increased number of classes offered by master gardeners
Method: Master Gardeners taking on more responsibility with programming. Master Gardeners will be trained how to handle each program they work with.
Timeline: Throughout the year
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: County Communications Contest
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Curriculum, Talk Meet, Demonstrations Booklet, and Contest Rules
Inputs: Volunteer and Agent time, space for contest, awards for participants, copies, equipment
Date: Annually
Audience: Youth ages 5-18
Project or Activity: Communications Contest in the Schools: Speak Up!
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Curriculum, Talk Meet, Demonstrations Booklet, and Contest Rules
Inputs: Agent time, space for contest, awards for participants, copies, equipment
Date: Winter- Spring, Annually
Audience: Middle and High School age 4-H youth
Project or Activity: Leadership Clubs/Teen Council
Content or Curriculum: Unlock Your Leadership Potential, Civic Engagement, district and state level events, 4-H Camp Counselor Training manual
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Monthly Meetings, Year Round
Audience: 4-H Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Project Clubs/Groups
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Sewing—Keeping 4-H in Stitches; 4-H Cooking—
4-H Cooking 101, 201, 301, 401, Super Star Chef, Visual Arts Curriculum, Utah 4-H Cake Decorating Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent time, volunteer time, funding, curriculum, equipment, meeting space
Date: Time varies by project
Audience: Youth ages 12-18
Project or Activity: Richmond Teen Center
Content or Curriculum: Varies: Unlock your Leadership Potential, National 4-H Mentoring program, Speak Up, Jr MANRRS, 4-H SET
Inputs: 4-H volunteers, resources, curriculum
Date: Annually
Audience: Youth 12-18
Project or Activity: Shooting sports teen leaders
Content or curriculum: varies: shooting sports, Step up to Leadership Mentor guide
Inputs: meeting space and supplies, curriculum, equipment
Date: Annually
Audience: 4-H Volunteers
Project or Activity: Volunteer Training
Content or curriculum: Livestock, Dog, Shooting Sports, Horse, Volunteer Resource Guide
Inputs: meeting space and supplies, curriculum, equipment
Date: One meeting annually, continuing hours
Audience: Board and Council members, clientele
Activity: Family and Consumer Science Council and Homemaker Board, County Extension Council
Content or curriculum: Council Guidelines
Input: KEHA materials, Letters, meals, meeting space, agent and volunteer time
Date: Year Round
Audience: Master Volunteers and clientele
Activity: Master Volunteer in Clothing Program
Content or curriculum: Volunteer Activities, MCV State Training and guidelines
Input: Training fees, agent time, volunteer service hours, samples and supplies
Date: Year Round
Audience: Madison County District Board Members
Activity: District Board
Content or Curriculum: District Board Manual
Inputs: volunteer service, treasurer, Department of Local Government, Fiscal Court
Date: Year Round
Audience: Adults
Activity: Leadership Madison County Program
Content: Madison County Chambers of Commerce in Richmond and Berea (Agriculture Day)
Inputs: Volunteer farmers, ANR agent, Richmond & Berea Chamber resources
Date: September, Annually
Audience: Adults
Activity: Master Gardeners
Content: UK program
Inputs: UK curriculum, specialists, Horticulture Agent
Date: As needed
Audience: Master Gardeners
Activity: Master Gardener Club
Content: As needed
Inputs: Land grant publications, Horticulture Agent
Date: monthly
Audience: Resident Farmers
Activity: Madison County Ag Development Council
Content: Governor’s Office of Ag Policy Program Guidelines
Inputs: GOAP staff, county council members, ANR agent
Date: 3-4 times per year (as needed)
Author: Aubrey Lawson
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Madison County 4-H Agent offered a four-day 4-H quilting day camp series to eight youth. The development of life skills such as sewing has been shown to increase hand/eye coordination, improve critical thinking skills, develop creative thinkers and serve as an expressive art form. By learning to complete sewing projects youth develop confidence and a sense of accomplishment by completing new projects. The participating youth received 18 hours of instruction on sewing techniques, machine us
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Financial Education - General
The FCS agent collaborated with faculty in the Child and Family Studies Department at Berea College to share materials to a Child and Family Studies (CFS) 145 class. CFS 145 is a course that focuses on consumer decision making and features students from various years of experiences as well as a variety of educational backgrounds and majors or concentrations. This collaboration resulted in a one day "crash-course" covering finance management and budgeting to build upon the current
Author: Julia Reid
Major Program: Agriculture
The Madison County 4-H Country Ham Auction is a relatively new project in Madison County, but it has already become one of our staple programs in the county. The agriculture community in Madison County was really looking for a place to invest in young agriculturalists when the project began. In fact, several local businesses even approached me to let me know they had money in their budget to support their local 4-H with agriculture initiatives, but they did not have a place to spend those
Author: Julia Reid
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts
One of the biggest complaints I hear from community members about youth is they do not know how to talk to people, and I believe we can all agree no matter a youth's career path, they will use communications skills in their future jobs. Through the pandemic, we had very low participation in many 4-H events and activities, but having the communications contest virtually was one of the programs last year that really suffered. We only had three youth that participated. This year, I r
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
As the Madison County extension agent, I was invited to collaborate with the Powell County agent and several community partners to come and teach for an "Adulting Day" for the Seniors at Powell County High School. The students worked through four rotations or classes for about 45 minutes each where they met two presenters in each group that covered various topics with them including basic nutrition, grocery budgeting, food safety, and basic kitchen skills. We served around 150 st
Author: Aubrey Lawson
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Research not only shows that early civic engagement is mutually beneficial to both the youth and the communities in which they serve, but early civic engagement is associated with positive health outcomes later in life (Brennan Center for Justice, 2022). The Madison County 4-H program strives to incorporate an understanding and practice of generosity, one of the four essential elements of youth development, into clubs and programs from all of the 4-H Core Content areas. This important aspect of
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: Natural Resources
According to Reserve America, “Research has also shown that going on a hike in the woods can improve blood pressure, increase mental health and even decrease your risk of cancer. This is true of the young and old alike.” Finally out of COVID isolation, the CES restarted some 4-H Clubs. One club in particular is called the 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club. This club is designed to teach participants survival skills through hands on lessons. Once CES was able to restart in-person clubs,
Author: Jessica Hunley
Major Program: Super Star Chef
The FCS agent, with support from the SNAP assistant, NEP assistant, and FCS assistant, planned and coordinated Super Star Chef day camp in the summer of 2022. There were 18 Madison County students, ranging from 9 to 12 years old, who participated in Super Star Chef 2022 and got to experience some fun and new ways to discover life and social skills through working in the kitchen. The students spent 4 hours a day for three days learning about kitchen safety skills, knife skills, nutri
Author: Brandon Sears
Major Program: Camping
With COVID restrictions lifted, interest in 4H camp returned to near record levels and more volunteers were needed to help in various ways. The Madison County ANR agent attended camp to lead fishing education classes. Fishing poles and supplies were acquired and set up for approximately 45 youth among three different classes. New this year was a special “Polar Fishing” activity early in the morning with about 50 participants! Proper casting techniques, hook baiting, fish removal and
Author: Julia Reid
Major Program: Camping
This year at Madison County 4-H Camp the camp theme was the old west, and man did we have a rootin' tootin' good time! My favorite part was building relationships within our office team. We were ecstatic to have our 4-H Staff Assistant, Melanie Garland, Family Consumer Science Agent, Jessica Hunley, and our Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, Brandon Sears, stay at 4-H Camp with us all week! Our Horticulture Agent, Amanda Sears, as well as many of our program assistants and support
