Extension
It Starts With Us
Fostering Life Skills Education in Youth and Families
Youth and Families Life Skills
Alexander, Potts, Heisdorffer, Clingenpeel
Financial Education - General
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Family and Consumer Science
Leadership
The start of 4-H came about in the early 1900’s as a way to provide hands-on learning to youth so that they may share the learned skills with their families. Today, 4-H is known as one of the largest youth development organizations in the country. As many families in Daviess County live within broken homes, with 436 of every 1000 youth in foster care, 21% of children living in poverty, and a 45 of every 1000 juvenile incarceration rate, the need for both youth and families to gain valuable life skills has never been greater. As guardians strive to meet family needs in single-parent households, 36% of homes with children in Daviess County, there is little time to teach these skills at home. As many schools no longer include family and consumer science classes in their curriculum, youth must learn these skills elsewhere. 4-H is able to utilize in-school, after-school, club, and camp settings to engage and educate youth in these areas. Additionally, the Family and Consumer Sciences program provides parents, guardians, caregivers, and young adults with parenting skills, financial education, and estate planning, as city and county schools respectively show the following statistics for age-appropriate youth; 42.8% and 56.7% are kindergarten ready, 48.1% and 59.5% display 4th grade reading level preparedness, 47.2% and 48.4% are 8th grade math proficient, and 84.1% and 92.3% graduate high school on time.
*Source: Kentucky Kids Count Survey
Youth and families will improve financial stability
Extension youth will seek post-secondary and career development
Youth and families will make decisions to improve independence and resiliency
Participants create a budget
Participants prioritize activities and needs
Individuals implement one or more activities to secure financial future
Families use appropriate learning activities and positive discipline
Participants apply one or more life skills in daily life
Individuals evaluate home or workplace for safety
Participants can distinguish between wants and needs/fixed expenses
Individuals discuss time management
Individuals define financial terms/literacy
Participants can match ages and stages
Identify/observe life skill practices
Individuals can name two or more safety practices
Long-term Outcome: Development in life skills in youth and families
Indicator: Youth and families will make decision to improve independence and resiliency
Method: Observation, written pre/post surveys, personal testimonies
Timeline: School year, duration of the program
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Cooking, Food Safety, Nutrition
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef, Fantastic Foods, Luv-an-Egg, Put it Up! Food Preservation, Cooking 101-401, What's on Your Plate?
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2023-2024
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: West KY 4-H Camping Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, West KY 4-H Camping Faculty
Date: July 2023/2024
Audience: Elementary School Youth Ages 9-12
Project or Activity: Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: Progressive Ag Safety Materials, Approved Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant, Extension Volunteers
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Project Day Camps
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant, Extension Volunteers
Date: Summer 2023
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Shooting Sports
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports Approved Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coaches
Date: October 2023-September 2024
Audience: Youth Ages 16-19
Project or Activity: Adulting 101
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Daviess County Extension Agents, volunteers
Date: Spring 2024/Summer
Audience: Recovery Center participants, youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Financial lessons, credit score, budgeting
Content or Curriculum: Money Habitudes, CreditWise, Needs v. Wants
Inputs: Extension Agents
Date: Fall 2023
Audience: Individuals and Families
Project or Activity: Vegetable Gardening Topics including youth gardening projects
Content or Curriculum: Extension Publications
Inputs: Agent, Program Assistant, and Extension Master Gardeners
Date: Summer 2023 - February/Marchril/April 2024
Audience: College Students
Project or Activity: It's Your Reality
Content or Curriculum: It's Your Reality
Inputs: Extension Agents, Volunteers
Date: 2023/2024
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
4-H Shooting Sports is one of the biggest youth development programs in Kentucky 4-H. In February 2023, the 4-H Shooting Sports program in Daviess County held an info session for anyone interested in learning how to shoot rifle, bb, .22, and/or shotgun. 60 youth and adults attended this meeting to learn and fill out paperwork for the upcoming season. Both the Marksmen Club (rifle, bb, .22) and Crushers (shotgun/trap) Club saw a huge increase in participation at their practices. When it came time
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program comprises more 75% of the USDA Farm Bill budget allocation. There are tens of millions of Americans who meet the economic threshold which qualifies them for benefits of this program that is primarily direct food item cost assistance. Thousands of SNAP program eligible demographic reside in Daviess County. There is a problem related to this program in that a large percentage of food purchased with these subsidy funds is underutilized
Author: Katherine Alexander
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
Teaching food preparation, including knife skills and reading a recipe, teach young adults' skills for everyday life. By teaching and encouraging young adults' useful skills we are also building confidence, teaching them how to be independent and successful adults in the future. The Daviess County 4-H and FCS extension agents partnered with the Practical Living teacher at one of our middle schools in Daviess County to teach "Salsa Lab" to her practical living students which con
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Teaching food preparation, including knife skills and reading a recipe, teach young adults' skills for everyday life. By teaching and encouraging young adults' useful skills, we are also building confidence and teaching them how to be independent and successful adults in the future. The Daviess County 4-H and FCS extension agents partnered with the Practical Living teacher at one of the middle schools in Daviess County to teach "Salsa Lab" to her practical living students which
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Leadership
Middle school is a crucial period for youth development, marked by significant physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes. Fostering leadership skills in middle school students is essential for preparing them for future challenges and responsibilities. Engaging them through interactive and enjoyable activities not only makes learning fun but also instills vital qualities such as communication, teamwork, and decision-making.At this age, youth encounter numerous physical, cognitive, langua
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - ANR
The substance-use epidemic touches all areas of the commonwealth, and treatment programs are using creative, research-based approaches to assist those impacted. Extension Agent for Horticulture Education in Daviess County, Annette Heisdorffer, and Daviess County Nutrition Education Program Assistant, Catherine Dowdy, collaborated with Owensboro Regional Recovery from May to October 2023 to teach both gardening skills and nutrition education. The gardening, meal planning, and cooking skill
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Camping
The vision of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to serve the citizens of Kentucky and beyond by providing a safe environment for experiential learning opportunities. The mission of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to improve people through intentional life skill development. This will happen through: • collaboration with local, state, and national partners, • research-based methods and programming, • service-oriented practices, • long-term strategic planning, • and play. One particula
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Leadership
Many Latino youth in Kentucky face significant educational challenges due to the immigrant and socioeconomic status of their parents. According to the National Research Council's report, “Hispanics and the Future of America,” many Latino children start school without the same social and economic resources as their peers. Inadequate school resources and low trust between students and staff exacerbate these disadvantages. The need to support and build community for these young peop
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
“Sewing is a discipline that helps develop self-esteem, confidence, focus, patience, fine motor skills, problem solving, process thinking and visualization. Additionally, sewing encourages creative ability” (The Creative Art of Sewing; www. NorthJersey.com; September 13, 2012). Nine youth at Cravens Elementary School participated in a six-session after school sewing program where they made a pillowcase and the Go Green tote bag from Unit 1: Let’s Learn to Sew. All n
