Extension
It Starts With Us
Leadership and Community Development
Growing Grayson County through Rural, Youth, and Community Development
Natalie Taul, Kindra Jones, Whitney Carman
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Master Gardener
Kentucky Extension Leadership Development (KELD)
First Impressions
Developing effective leaders is critical for the future of Grayson County. Grayson County Cooperative Extension Service has had a strong history of working with community partners to increase sustainability of the community, strengthen families, and encourage youth. Leadership breeds ownership in the community and having strong leaders helps identify needs and encourage growth. Training, retaining, and recruiting high quality adult and youth volunteers is essential to community development.
Community will be equipped with competent, effective leaders that will engage others to initiate projects.
Graduates in formal leadership roles increase their involvement and help put skills into practice by becoming more engaged in the community.
Increase knowledge of effective leadership skills that will enhance the leadership skills of youth and adults.
Initial Outcome: Increase knowledge of effective leadership skills that will enhance the leadership skills of youth and adults.
Indicator: Number of people who have reported an increase in confidence in their leadership ability or capacity.
Method: Observations, program evaluations, and surveys
Timeline: spring and fall 2022-2023
Intermediate Outcome: Graduates in formal leadership roles increase their involvement and help put skills into practice by becoming more engaged in the community.
Indicator: Number of people who have reported new leadership opportunities
Method: Observations, program evaluations, and surveys
Timeline: spring and fall 2022 - 2023
Long-term Outcome: Community will be equipped with competent, effective leaders that will engage others to initiate projects.
Indicator: Number of people who have taken on role of facilitator or leader in Extension or Community
Method: Observations, program evaluations, and surveys.
Timeline: summer 2023
Audience: Homemaker Association
Project/Activity: Homemaker leader trainings, officer and chairman training, other leadership trainings, council meetings/committees
Content/Curriculum: KEHA lessons, KELD
Inputs: Agents, KEHA, materials, etc.
Date: Monthly
Audience: General public, Chamber members, Extension volunteers
Project/Activity: KELD trainings
Content/Curriculum: KELD section 1, 2, and 3
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, Extension facilities, Chamber of Commerce
Date: spring, fall
Audience: homeowners, gardeners
Project/Activity: Master Gardeners of Grayson County
Content/Curriculum: Master Gardener Manual
Inputs: volunteers, extension personnel, UK pubs, extension resources
Date: Winter 2022 and 2023
Audience: Extension volunteers, farmers, community leaders
Project/Activity: Agriculture Advisory Council, FCS Council, 4-H Council
Content/Curriculum: local agriculture issues, youth issues, family/nutrition issues
Inputs: community partners, extension personnel, farmers, Extension resources, local businesses and leaders
Date: quarterly or bi yearly
Audience: Extension volunteers, community leaders
Project/Activity: County Extension Council
Content/Curriculum: Extension related topics and issues, leadership curriculum
Inputs: council members, community partners, Extension agents, facilities.
Date: quarterly
Audience: Communities and local business owners
Project/Activity: Business retention/expansion, community design, resource connection, first impressions, community strategic planning
Content/Curriculum: CEDIK resources
Inputs: CES agents, resources, and publications, Chamber of Commerce, volunteers, community leaders and stakeholders.
Date: Ongoing projects yearly
Author: Natalie Taul
Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
In August of 2021, the Lincoln Trail Area Extension Homemakers conducted a SWOT analysis at their area meeting. This meeting consisted of county and club officers, chairmen, and members from each of the 8 counties in the Lincoln Trail Area. While many strengths of the Extension Homemakers organization were listed, weaknesses still arose. Lack of technology, fundraising, structure, size, and more were all listed as minor weaknesses. However, a few kept rising to the top – mentioned again an
Author: Whitney Carman
Major Program: Master Gardener
Since 2005, The Extension Master Gardener program in Grayson County has been offered 5 times. Traditionally, the classes have been an in person, classroom style program. Over the course of the 18 years, the program, clientele and learning environment have all changed. This has created barriers for programs like this to be successful. However, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent integrated an online approach with a more diversified option, to better accommodate the participants in the pro
