Extension
It Starts With Us
Increasing life skills education and leadership excellence for youth and families
Developing Leadership, Volunteers, and Life Skills
Cabrina Buckman, Dennis Morgeson, Melissa Richardson, Taylor Graves, Laura Milburn, SNAP-Ed
Community Leadership Development
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Results from the 2019 Kentucky Extension Community Assessment identified the following as top community issues: providing more youth life-skills training, better youth and adult career readiness, and more qualified leaders to prepare community for the future. Advisory councils contributed to this assessment.
Participants of leadership programs will serve as volunteer leaders and/or mentors to others.
Clientele will gain and maintain employment through life skill development.
Families and individuals will make responsible and productive life choices that will contribute to home and community.
Participants will collaborate with coalitions, councils, programs, and other leaders.
Clientele will set and achieve goals through Extension programming.
Extension participants will apply skills learned through Extension programming at home, work, and in their community.
Develop adequate perceptions of leadership due to training opportunities for organizational and community leaders
Clientele will develop an understanding of goal setting
Participants will acquire decision making skills and gain an appreciation for civic engagement
Initial Outcome: Develop adequate perceptions of leadership due to training opportunities for organizational and community leaders
Indicator: Teen Leadership participants will apply lessons in leadership through completing assignments in the program
Method: verbal presentation
Timeline: spring
Intermediate Outcome: Participants will collaborate with coalitions, councils, programs, and other leaders.
Indicator: Participation on advisory councils and in programs
Method: sign in sheets and leader trainings
Timeline: throughout the year
Long-term Outcome: Participants of leadership programs will serve as volunteer leaders and/or mentors to others.
Indicator: return of program alumni to facilitate program
Method: observation
Timeline: continuous
Audience: youth and adult Extension clientele
Project or Activity: Talk Meet, 4-H clothing and food projects, money management classes, meal planning and preparation lessons, safety programming, 4-H Teen Programming, horticulture programming
Content or Curriculum: Extension curriculum
Inputs: Extension resources, community partners, volunteers, and participants
Date: continuous throughout FY 2024
Audience: 7th grade students, high school juniors, council and board members, community participants
Project or Activity: Junior Leadership, Teen Leadership, Master Gardeners, Homemakers, 4-H Council, Agriculture Development Board, WC Cattlemen's Association, Washington on Wellness Coalition
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Core Curriculum, Positive Employability Curriculum, other Extension curriculum
Inputs: Extension resources and specialists, community and civic organizations
Date: annual programming that will be offered continuously throughout FY 2024
Author: Cabrina Buckman
Major Program: Leadership
Teen Leadership Washington County is an annual program for high school juniors and seniors that focuses on leadership development, career opportunities, and learning about the community. The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent, and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator partner to plan and implement monthly meetings to cover topics like financial management, business and industry, agriculture and more. The Teen Leadership Retreat was held on August 17, 2023 to k
Author: Cabrina Buckman
Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
In 2021 the Lincoln Trail Area FCS agents hosted an educational program to support the Extension Homemakers in the counties of Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, Larue, Meade, Nelson, and Washington. The program was developed due to the pandemic and the need to reflect and recharge the Homemakers was identified, the program allowed the group to focus on their strengths to overcome threats to decreasing membership and other challenges facing the organization. Due to the great participation and
Author: Taylor Graves
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Teen Leadership Washington County is an annual program for high school juniors and seniors focusing on leadership development, career opportunities, and learning about the community. The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent, and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator partner to plan and implement monthly meetings. The month of September was Agriculture Day. Agriculture Day is planned and hosted by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and the Horticulture A
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Teen Leadership Washington County is an annual program for high school juniors and seniors focusing on leadership development, career opportunities, and learning about the community. The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent, and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator partner to plan and implement monthly meetings. The month of September was Agriculture Day. Agriculture Day is planned and hosted by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and the Horticulture Agent.&
Author: Taylor Graves
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Following a very successful Farm-to-Fork deer processing program there were several requests for more courses on ways to better utilize meat that was processed at home. This sparked the idea for a summer sausage-making program. Summer sausage has become more popular with the surge in popularity of the charcuterie board. The popular charcuterie board commonly contains an appealing spread of cheeses, meats, fruit vegetables, and dips. Summer sausage making is also popular among hunters as well bec
Author: Melissa Schenck
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
Teen Leadership Washington County is an annual program for high school juniors and seniors focusing on leadership development, career opportunities, and learning about the community. The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, 4-H Youth Development Agent, and School Gifted and Talented Coordinator partner to plan and implement monthly meetings. The month of September was Agriculture Day. Agriculture Day is planned and hosted by the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and the Horticulture A
Author: Melissa Schenck
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership – 4-H Youth Development
Within 4-H and Extension it is well known that volunteers made an immense impact on the lives of youth but research by the Mayo clinic indicates that volunteering offers significant impact to volunteers including improved physical and mental health, a sense of purpose, access to valuable skills, and beneficial relationships. The Washington County 4-H works to adults interested in volunteering within their community to youth and 4-H Clubs that fit their skills and subject area. Washington County
Author: Cabrina Buckman
Major Program: Super Star Chef
The Washington County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent, and the Nutrition Education Program Assistant collaborated to offer the Super Star Chef Day Camp program to 13 students. The program included education in handwashing, knife skills, safe use of the oven and stove, MyPlate food groups, food safety, the nutrition facts panel, and accurate measuring. Students practiced their skills by preparing fruit and yogurt parfait, roasted pot
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Lactobacillus-fermentation programs were requested and taught not only to Washington County residents, but surrounding county participants and the Horticulture Agent even traveled (at the request of a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent) for over an hour to teach the art of lactobacillus-fermentation. Eager participants attended with curiosity and a desire to learn the age-old tradition of lactobacillus-fermentation. Participants learned the history, needs, and science behind lactobacillus-fermen
Author: Melissa Schenck
Major Program: Leadership
The 100th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference took place at the University of Kentucky from June 11th to 14th, 2024. The conference aimed to achieve several objectives for its participants, including developing leadership and teamwork skills, improving communication abilities, fostering civic engagement, expanding knowledge in 4-H core content areas, and enhancing social skills through networking. Additionally, the event provided an opportunity for youth to become acquainted with the University
Author: Melissa Schenck
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership – 4-H Youth Development
The problemAccording to the Pew Research Center, about 66% of Americans voted in the last Presidential election. However, voting turnout is highly inconsistent. Only 37% of eligible Americans reported to have voted in all three of the last national elections held in 2018, 2020, and 2022. The turnout is even less when only local elections are on the ballot. The educational program responseA lack of understanding of the legal system and belief that their vote makes and impact is believed to c
