Extension
It Starts With Us
Building Strong Families through Life Skill Development
Youth and Family Life Skills
Vacant (FCS), Anna Meador (4-H), Adam Huber (ANR)
Family and Consumer Science
Science, Engineering, and Technology
Financial Education - General
Family Development General
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), parents with children between the ages of 6-12 spent less than one hour 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
- Strengthen family bonds and values
- 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
- Increased planned family bonding time
- 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
- Caretakers and youth apply strengthening family tools
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, Fall 2022 through Summer 2023
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, Spring 2023
Long-term Outcome: Youth and families to increase planned family-time and increased communications through intentional parent/child family bonding (family time, 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. Number of individuals (parents, caregivers, grandparent, or relative) reporting improved personal knowledge (i.e., developmental stages of a child, techniques to encourage positive development, positive discipline techniques for children, healthy ways to promote children’s success in schools, and signs of abuse and neglect) Number of individuals reporting improved parenting skills (i.e., skills to prepare child for life; use positive discipline techniques; use of empathy, family rules and effective boundaries; effective self-care techniques). Number of individuals who reported using specific preventative and positive discipline techniques in response to child’s misbehavior. Number of individuals who practice effective parenting skills, such as parental empathy, proper ways of establishing family rules and/or boundaries, or concrete support of their child.
Method: Combination of Annual Common Measures Evaluation and Matching Program Survey Indicators
Timeline: Annually, Fall 2022 through Summer 2023
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 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025
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 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 2023
Project or Activity: Dollars & Sense Program
Content or Curriculum: Dollars & Sense Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Curriculum, Volunteers, Posters/Props, Vol. Meals
Date: 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 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 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 2023, Spring 2024
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
4-H Food & Fun was a free at-home cooking program that united families in the kitchen and at the dinner table. The goal of the program was to get young people in the kitchen and preparing home-cooked meals, trying new foods, encouraging family time, developing communications skills, and having fun!The 4-H families who participated received a kitchen utensil kit related to each month's recipes, along with other informational materials. Youth prepared the recipes in the packet as they foll
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Leadership
Kentucky 4-H prioritizes providing youth leadership experiences as we recognize the “evidence that experiential learning can serve a role in developing a solid foundation for building leadership skills among young people” (Jones, 2009). Allen County 4-H’s annual Leadership Lock-In experienced a significant overhaul during 2023, as their county event typically hosted at the County Extension Office, expanded to encompass the entire Mammoth Cave Area 4-H Teen group at an off-
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: 21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
According to Griffith & Hoppner, "the most valuable employees in the organization have a mix of both hard and soft skill competence"(Griffith & Hoppner, 2013). Development of key technical tangible “hard skills” and intangible “soft skills” is critical for preparing youth for career and social success in the future. Allen County 4-H believes in the National 4-H motto “Making the Best Better” by helping to build and prepare future
Author: Anna Meador
Major Program: Leadership
“One of the most pressing issues facing youth-serving organizations such as 4-H is how to best support youth in becoming productive, contributing individuals of society” (Fox, Lodl, Schroeder, 2023). The mission of Kentucky 4-H is to provide “positive youth development experiences that provide opportunities for all youth to experience belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity” (Kentucky 4-H, 2023). It is our hope that our 4-H members are prepared for br
