Life Skills for Youth and AdultsPlan of Work

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Anderson County CES

Title:
Life Skills for Youth and Adults
MAP:
Leadership Development and Life Skills
Agents Involved:
Owen Watkins and Susan Campbell
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Family and Consumer Science
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Situation:

Anderson County families need to stretch food dollars; our community needs to decrease hunger; and training can be provided at local food assistance sites to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods.


4-H members, leaders, parents and FCS agents can encourage families and individuals to use farm-to-table food products.


Families, including youth need to:

Increase access to fruits and vegetables.

Learn and use food safety rules, and develop food preparation skills so they can have healthy, nutritious food at home and make wise choices when eating away from home.


The economy still hasn't fully recovered from the recession so Anderson County families are using food pantries, increasing participation in WIC, and using senior commodity foods more in the last 8 years. Participation has increased for free and reduced school meal programs.


Some county residents lack of access to nutritious, affordable foods, especially fish, fruits, and vegetables.


Kentucky adult obesity ranks among the 10 highest in the US

Kentucky adults rank among the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US

Kentucky youth rank among the 10 highest for obesity in the US

Long-Term Outcomes:
Anderson County youth and adults will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day.
Youth and adults will improve food management skills and develop healthy eating habits.
Youth will be food secure when school is not in session.
Individuals and families who receive emergency food supplies will select more nutrient dense items if given a choice
Intermediate Outcomes:
Families, youth and individuals will:
Access more local foods
Plant, harvest and preserve produce
Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
Initial Outcomes:
Families, youth and individuals will:
Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet
Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Safe food preparation
Indicator:Number of individuals reporting improved knowledge and skills in safe storage, handling, and preparation of food.
Method: Food safety quiz
Timeline: at end of program

Initial Outcome: Intention to cook more meals at home
Indicator: Number of individuals who report intention to cook more
Method: Classroom discussion
Timeline: beginning and end of multi-session program

Intermediate Outcome: Preparing more healthy home cooked meals
Indicator: Number of individuals who report preparing more healthy home cooked meals.
Method: One month followup by email or phone
Timeline: One month after program ends


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Anderson County Residents

Project or Curriculum: Community Gardens

Inputs: Agent Time, Master Gardeners, local community members, CES publications

Date: Through out the year 

Audience: 4-H Youth

Project or Activity: cooking day camp

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef

Inputs: FCS agent, 4-H agent, 4-H volunteers

Date: October, December, April, June


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Monthly meal time series at Extension Office and Food pantry

Content or Curriculum: SNAP calendar and publications

Inputs: County Agents, food pantry volunteers, publications

Date: monthly all year





Success Stories

4-H Camp

Author: Susan Campbell

Major Program: Camping

4-H Camp

The Targeted Life Skills model (Hendricks, 1998) has been an important guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating 4-H youth development programs.  This model provides a holistic youth development approach, referred to by multiple researchers (Barkman & Machtmes, 2002; Garton, Miltenberger, & Pruett, 2007; Pittman & Yohalem, 2002; Scales, 1996; Wright & Bersamin, 2004.)  4-H based studies using Targeted Life Skills identified a positive relationship between particip

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