Community Engagement and Economic DevelopmentPlan of Work

Back to Plans for the County

Harrison County CES

Title:
Community Engagement and Economic Development
MAP:
Community Development
Agents Involved:
Jessica Barnes, Jessica Sayre, Shannon Farrell, Shelley Meyer
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family and Consumer Science
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Business Retention and Expansion
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Building Healthy Coalitions
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
Situation:

Activities and events are being held in Harrison County, many of them free to the public, to promote the wellbeing of the residents and the community. However, more opportunity is always requested.

Long-Term Outcomes:

The community will work together to offer more programs and awareness resulting in an increased overall wellbeing.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Increased communication and interaction with elected officials and underserved populations.

Initial Outcomes:

Create awareness and educate the community on resources available to them.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Increased attendance at community and extension events

Indicator: New and improved programs offered by extension office, Public Library, Chamber of Commerce

Method: attendance and registration statistics

Timeline: All Year


Intermediate Outcome: Increased Citizen Participation

Indicator: Farmer's Market Participation, New City Park Improvements. Volunteers continue to participate

Method: Sign-in sheets, phone calls, website hits, news articles, and visits to Extension Office. A perceived more positive attitude about community

Timeline: 4 years or longer


Long-term Outcome: Community Improvements made

Indicator: Community beautification, County and City cleanup, business networking, infrastructure improvements, park development, grants received

Method: Observation and personal testing

Timeline: 3-5 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Community

Project or Activity: Continue to develop vision and needs for the future.

Content or Curriculum: Develop vision and needs for next 20 years.

Inputs: Agents, community members, local councils

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Media

Content or Curriculum: Radio, Newspaper, Newsletter, Electronic Sign promoting Harrison County activities

Inputs: Agents, paid staff, The Democrat, WCYN radio

Date: July-June


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: Website/ Social Media

Content or Curriculum: Extension to develop and link to other sites related to Harrison County. Update as needed.

Inputs: Extension staff

Date: July-June


Audience: Community members and leaders

Project or Activity: Grant Writing/Resource Acquisition

Content or Curriculum: Guide leaders as they seek dollars for action plans

Inputs: Community leaders

Date: July-June


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: Sponsor Community Blood Drive

Content or Curriculum: Commitment to the Community, work with Central Kentucky Blood Center

Inputs: Central Kentucky Blood Center

Date: 3 to 4 times during the year


Audience: Community members

Project or Activity: Community Health Fairs

Content or Curriculum: Preventative Health

Inputs: Harrison Memorial Hospital, Health providers, volunteers

Date: June


Audience: 4th and 5th grade students

Project or Activity: Safety Day

Content or Curriculum: Prevention

Inputs: local businesses, emergency services, volunteers

Date: Septemeber


Audience: Public

Project or Activity:  Harrison County Beef Day

Content or Curriculum: Create Awareness about the Beef Industry and where food comes from

Inputs: Harrison County Beef Cattle Association, Ag Council, Farm supply stores, local vets, volunteers, Homemakers

Date: May


Audience: Public

Project or Activity:  Honey Festival

Content or Curriculum: Homemaker awareness, cookoff

Inputs: Beekeepers Association, Harrison County Homemakers, volunteers

Date: September


Audience: Public

Project or Activity: Harrison County Fairgrounds

Content or Curriculum: Advise leaders as they seek funding and development.

Inputs: District Board members, Cooperative Extension Council

Date: All Year


Audience: 4-H members

Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Council

Content or Curriculum: Step Up to Leadership

Inputs: 4-H UK Specialists, neighboring 4-H agents and programs, Kentucky 4-H, SRTLC, Teen Retreat, Middle School Retreat, Teen Summit, Teen Conference, Leadership Bootcamp, State Teen Council, Area Teens, Fashion Leadership Board

Date: All Year


Audience: 4-H members

Project or Activity: Chamber/4-H Young Entrepreneurs

Content or Curriculum: Build Your Future Curriculum, Marketing, Vendor opportunities, presentation skills

Inputs: 4-H UK Specialists, Chamber of Commerce, 4-H Volunteers, Field and Main Bank, Melinda's Boutique, Real Estate Agent, local businesses

Date: All Year



Success Stories

Men's Homemaker

Author: Shelley Meyer

Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association

Men's Homemaker

The problemThe Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service, and education (Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association, 2023). This organization consists primarily of retired females with a growing audience of working women. With changing times and gender roles, there has been a void in capturing the male audience in this worthwhile organization.

Full Story

UK Engagement Academy Visits Harrison County

Author: Shannon Farrell

Major Program: Community Engagement

UK Engagement Academy Visits Harrison County

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison County            Extension success is measured, in part, by its collaborative efforts with community leaders, other entities, and stakeholders. What’s been a major component in Extension’s purpose for years, but being emphasized now more than ever, is the Extension’s ability to partner and share resources with other efforts in the community to meet needs and increase quality of life. A tremendous honor

Full Story

UK Engagement Academy Comes to Harrison County

Author: Jessica Barnes

Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR

UK Engagement Academy Comes to Harrison County

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison CountyExtension success is measured, in part, by its collaborative efforts with community leaders, other entities, and stakeholders. What’s been a major component in Extension’s purpose for years, but being emphasized now more than ever, is the Extension’s ability to partner and share resources with other efforts in the community to meet needs and increase quality of life. A tremendous honor was held by Harrison County Extension when the

Full Story

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison County

Author: Jessica Wells

Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison County

           Extension success is measured, in part, by its collaborative efforts with community leaders, other entities, and stakeholders. What’s been a major component in Extension’s purpose for years, but being emphasized now more than ever, is the Extension’s ability to partner and share resources with other efforts in the community to meet needs and increase quality of life. A tremendous honor was held by Harrison County Extension when the Regio

Full Story

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison County

Author: Shelley Meyer

Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General

UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison County

Extension success is measured, in part, by its collaborative efforts with community leaders, other entities, and stakeholders. What’s been a major component in Extension’s purpose for years, but being emphasized now more than ever, is the Extension’s ability to partner and share resources with other efforts in the community to meet needs and increase quality of life. A tremendous honor was held by Harrison County Extension when the Regional Director for area C4, recommended the

Full Story

Middle School Academy learns from Local Chef Partnership

Author: Shannon Farrell

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

Middle School Academy learns from Local Chef Partnership

The 4-H Middle School Academy in Harrison County was a program that developed as an outreach for increased 6th-8th grade involvement in 4-H, coupled with a focus on Appalachian cuisine and local food markets. This idea evolved during a collaboration meeting when Ashford Acres’ (local event venue) executive chef, requested to do a partnership with 4-H. In working to identify youth well suited for this program, the principal of Harrison County Middle School announced school-wide, that anyone

Full Story

Remembering the Tornados of West KY 2 Years Later

Author: Shannon Farrell

Major Program: Civic Engagement

Remembering the Tornados of West KY 2 Years Later

Monday, November 13th, Harrison County 4-H representatives traveled to Dawson Springs, KY to deliver a monetary check donation and 3 park benches to one of the hardest hit areas of the December 2021 tornados. This delivery has been the culminating trip of a two-year process.The service project idea began in January of 2022 when the Harrison County 4-H Council voted to set aside a certain amount of money as a donation to be used towards the tornado relief efforts.  As an added component, the

Full Story

Giant Pumpkin Contest

Author: Jessica Wells

Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General

Giant Pumpkin Contest

Harrison County and Cynthiana is considered the #1 Fall Destination in Kentucky.  With that title, local businesses decorate storefronts, homes are decorated with skeletons and fall décor, there are events held each weekend through September and October and the Harrison County Extension Office is always looking for ways to participate and make their presence known in the community.After a conversation with the Chamber of Commerce director, a suggestion was made to have a Giant Pumpki

Full Story

Giant Pumpkin Contest

Author: Jessica Barnes

Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General

Giant Pumpkin Contest

Harrison County and Cynthiana is considered the #1 Fall Destination in Kentucky.  With that title, local businesses decorate storefronts, homes are decorated with skeletons and fall décor, there are events held each weekend through September and October and the Harrison County Extension Office is always looking for ways to participate and make their presence known in the community.After a conversation with the Chamber of Commerce director, a suggestion was made to have a Giant Pumpki

Full Story

Giant Pumpkin Contest

Author: Shelley Meyer

Major Program: Community Engagement

Giant Pumpkin Contest

The problemHarrison County and Cynthiana is considered the #1 Fall Destination in Kentucky.  With that title, local businesses decorate storefronts, homes are decorated with skeletons and fall décor, there are events held each weekend through September and October and the Harrison County Extension Office is always looking for ways to participate and make their presence known in the community.The educational program responseAfter a conversation with the Chamber of Commerce director, a

Full Story

School Photography Success from Partnership with Boyd’s Station Gallery

Author: Shannon Farrell

Major Program: Communications

School Photography Success from Partnership with Boyd’s Station Gallery

Harrison County Elementary Digital Learning Coach partnered with Harrison County 4-H to provide a learning opportunity for elementary students to participate in the submission contest for the Creative Digital Arts Projects. This statewide school initiative allows each elementary school to submit 2 entries: Digital Photography and Digital Narrative. Photos entered in either category must be original photos that utilize composition, framing, and feel without over dependence upon software enhanceme

Full Story
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