Better Living Through 4-H ProgrammingPlan of Work

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Martin County CES

Title:
Better Living Through 4-H Programming
MAP:
4-H Family and Consumer Science
Agents Involved:
4-H
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Health 4-H Core Curriculum
Situation:
Over the last 25 years, the number of stay-at-home parents has decreased. Parents have increasingly relied on schools to teach concepts and skills once taught within the family. With societal changes and cuts in school budgets, many schools have eliminated family and consumer science labs and no longer include or have decreased FCS instruction in the curriculum. In nutrition alone, the lack of basic life skills is evidenced by alarming rises in childhood obesity, poor diets of youth of all ages, and an overreliance on packaged/fast food.

Life choices are often based more on personal desires rather than factual information. Those who seek information often turn to internet sources which may not be based in research. Decision-making may be based on product marketing claims, family tradition, myths, faulty information, and lack of knowledge. Today’s massive health and economic problems are due in part to the lack of instruction in the home by parents and in school through Family and Consumer Sciences classes.

4-H offers projects in FCS which assist youth toward becoming responsible and contributing members of the family and contributing members of Kentucky communities. At the same time, these life skills prepare youth for the families they will establish as adults.
Long-Term Outcomes:
• Be engaged citizens and community leaders
• Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
• Childhood obesity and cost of health care will be reduced
• Be more likely to complete high school, pursue post- secondary education and be contributing individuals, family members and citizens
Intermediate Outcomes:
• Apply skills to projects and life situations
• Project a positive image and self-confidence
• Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
• Be responsible, contributing, caring members of the family
• Practice healthy eating choices
• Exhibit habits that contribute toward safe, pleasant, and productive family life
• Exhibit habits and skills that contribute toward an employable future
Initial Outcomes:
• Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences
• Explain decisions
• Make positive choices
• Make decisions about his/her project based on information and experiment
• Display creativity
• Develop connectedness with other youth and adults
• Strengthen his/her individual identity and motivation
• Increase self-esteem and gain self-confidence.
• Express a desire to help others.
Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Youth will gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences Indicator.

Method: Pre and Post Tests

Timeline: July - December (2016-2018)


Intermediate Outcome: Youth will project a positive self image of themselves and make health choices.

Indicator: Increase in number of youth applying skills to live a healthy and well rounded life style.

Method: Pre and Post Tests

Timeline: january - June (2016-2018)


Long-term Outcome: Youth will become productive members of society.

Indicator: Martin County will have an increased number of college and wok ready students, an increase in community leaders, a decrease in obesity and more family ready citizens.

Method: Observation

Timeline: 3 Years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Grades 9-12

Project or Activity: In -School Sewing Clubs

Content or Curriculum: 4-H sewing curriculum and Instructor expertise

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Teachers, High School Facilities

Date: September - May (2016-2018)


Audience: Youth Age 9-14

Project or Activity: After School Sewing Club

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Sewing Curriculum

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Extension Facilities

Date: Year Long (2016-2018)


Audience: High School Sophomores

Project or Activity: Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: Reality Store, World of Work

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Teachers, Youth Service Centers, Teen Volunteers, Community Partners, Extension Resources, High School Facilities

Date: Fall Semester (2016-2018)


Audience: High School

Project or Activity: Workforce Preparation

Content or Curriculum: Workforce Preparation, Resume Resources

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Teachers, Youth Service Centers, Teen Volunteers, Extension Resources, High School FacilitiesDate: Spring Semester


Audience: 4th and 5th Grade

Project or Activity: In-School Clubs

Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Teachers, Youth Service Centers, Extension Resources, Elementary School Facilities

Date: September - May (2016-2018)


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Summer Day Camps

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health Curriculum

Inputs: Agent, Staff, Volunteers, Teachers, Youth Service Centers, Teen Volunteers, Community Partners, Extension Resources, Summer Food Program

Date: June (2016-2018)



Success Stories

Building Strong Relationships

Author: Joe Maynard

Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming

Sometimes it can be hard for any outside group to get classroom time at schools. This is no different for 4-H. Even after 13 years of forming relationships in the community and with schools it can still be tough to work in time for extra educational programming. The need to find classroom time has resulted in a great relationship between 4-H and the Family Resource Centers in every school for many years. The opportunity to have an agency that works within the school system to schedule for 4-H is

Full Story

Raising Plants and Money

Author: Joe Maynard

Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum

According to The Columbia Online Dictionary, plants are essential to the balance of nature and in people's lives. Green plants, i.e., those possessing chlorophyll, manufacture their own food and give off oxygen during photosynthesis. Plants are the ultimate source of food and metabolic energy for nearly all animals, which cannot manufacture their own food. Besides foods (e.g., grains, fruits, and vegetables), plant products vital to humans include wood and wood products, fibers, drugs, oils,

Full Story

Coping With Adversity

Author: Joe Maynard

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

“Almost 30% of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both. In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13% reported bullying others, 11% reported being the target of bullies, and another 6% said that they bullied others and were bullied themselves. Bullying takes on different forms in male and female youth. While both male and female youth say that others bully them by making fu

Full Story

Smoothie Bike Nutrition

Author: Joe Maynard

Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

Martin Countians are living in poverty, are food insecure and are experiencing preventable diseases such as obesity.  IN 2013, martin County residents had an obesity rate of 39.3%To address this issue, the Martin County 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences programs partnered with the Family Resource Centers to host a day Camp for your ages 9-18.  This camp provided hands-on nutrition education focusing on preparing healthy foods and how to easily incorporate fruits and vegetables into

Full Story

Martin County Sewing

Author: Joe Maynard

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

In our life of technology, we lose track of how things are made and where things come from. A skill that is often looked over is sewing. Sewing provides the opportunity for young people to experience a sense of accomplishment associated with completing a project. It also provides an opportunity for youth to understand textiles, construction techniques, design principles as well as develop eye/hand coordination. “Sewing is a discipline that helps develop self-esteem, confidence, focus, pati

Full Story
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