Lee County CES

Title:

Local Youth Leadership Development

MAP:

Leadership

Agents Involved:

Ted Johnson

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum

Situation:

Lee County often falls to the bottom of the list of Kentucky counties in terms of household income indicators, employment rates, and educational attainment. According to Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) 35.7% of Lee County Residents were living in poverty compared to 19.1% state wide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2013 reported a 12.6% unemployment rate in Lee County, and the American Community Survey for Education (ACS) reported that 70.9% of residents age 25 and up had a High School Diploma or less. The wellbeing of families and individuals in Lee County is threatened by an unfavorable economic climate and limited resources. It is important to invest in today’s youth in order for Lee County to thrive in the future, for this reason the Lee county extension council has identified leadership development as an area to focus programing.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Lee county will see a growing number of youth completing formal education and or valuable work experiences and returning to the county to contribute to the community.
Increase in locally owned and operated businesses.
Increase in competent workforce.
Increase in local individuals to fill county leadership positions.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Individuals report an increased involvement in civic leadership roles.
Individuals report an increased participation in county leadership and community groups.
Individuals report an increased confidence and demonstrate an increased ability to communicate and present in front of groups.
Practice personal leadership in school clubs and community groups as youth members.

Initial Outcomes:

Increased knowledge and understanding of county leadership structure and decision making.
Increased knowledge and understanding of appropriate public speaking skills and effective communication.
Increased participating in communications workshops and contests.
Increased participation in school clubs and community clubs.

Evaluation:

Long Term Outcome: Strengthened community through increase in qualified and competent community members.
Indicator: Increase in the number of individuals actively involved in county leadership and community groups.
Method: Observations, and surveys, self-reporting
Timeline: Ongoing

Intermediate Outcome: Increased skills in problem solving, communications, and group processes.
Indicator: The number of youth actively involved in club leadership or communications contests.
Method: survey, self-reporting
Timeline: End of program, yearly

Initial outcome: Increase in awareness and understanding of leadership opportunities and public speaking/communication.
Indicator: Participation in school clubs and leadership/communications programing.
Method: Pre-post tests, surveys
Timeline: Immediately following program

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Demonstrations Contest
Content or Curriculum: Communications Curriculum and Publications
Inputs: Volunteers, teachers, Extension Staff
Date: August 2016-July 2017

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Talk Meet
Content or Curriculum: Communications Curriculum and Publications
Inputs: Volunteers, teachers, Extension Staff
Date: August 2016 - July 2017

Audience: Youth- 16-18 years old
Project or Activity: Teen Leader Orientation
Content or Curriculum: Camp Volunteer Training resources
Inputs: Extension Staff
Date: Summer-2016/2017

Audience: Youth 9-14 years old
Project or Activity: Camp
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Camp resources
Inputs: Volunteers, Camp Staff, Extension Staff
Date: Summer 2016/2017

Audience: Youth- Elementary and Middle School
Project or Activity: School Clubs
Content or Curriculum: UK Leadership Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, Extension Staff
Date: August 2016- May 2017

Success Stories