Extension
It Starts With Us
Preparing Youth and Families for Successful Futures
Teaching Life Skills
Croslin, Wooley, Rudolph
Child Development General
Health & Wellbeing
Family Development General
Family and Consumer Science
How we live life is ever-changing but learning basic life skills is still as important as ever. Learning to practice healthy habits, select clothing to emphasize one’s best appearance, create and live within a budget, prepare nutritious meals safely, nurture children, create a safe and pleasant home environment, practice common courtesies, and form relationships with others—all of these skills are basic to everyday life. Many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. The reality is that today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. Many of these basic life skills are not consistently taught to youth at home or at school. 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences projects equip youth with these skills. As with any other Kentucky 4-H Core Curriculum area, when it comes to development of life skills, a strong case can be made for the need to go beyond mere transfer of knowledge to giving youth the opportunity for a variety of supportive, related learning experiences to significantly increase the program’s influence. 4-H often offers basic learning activities on a topic of interest to youth but the addition of activities which support that interest (such as fair exhibits, related subject matter workshops or day camps, field trips, and decision-making judging contests) significantly increase the development of life skills in youth.
In a study by Olson, Croymans and Ji (2014), 4-Hers reported that participating in 1 or 2 educational opportunities influenced the development of critical thinking and decision making skills, and participating in 6 to 8 opportunities significantly increased the program’s influence by adding development of life skills in leadership, planning/organization, wise use of resources, useful/marketable skills and accepting differences. While many FCS skills can be learned through self-directed projects or school enrichment, it’s beneficial for youth to have the added experience and guidance of a trusted adult and the opportunity to form relationships with caring mentors. For many adults, long-term volunteering is not always possible but shorter-term volunteer roles create doable opportunities for more people to tuck volunteering into busy schedules. Special interest clubs and groups that meet for a few weeks or months broaden the possibilities. The volunteer efforts of multiple adults may be required to take the 4-H experience from club meetings alone to also include exhibits, field trips and more.
In addition to opportunities for school-age children, younger children and families are in need of these life skills. “School-readiness” is a broad term that refers to multiple precursor cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills that indicate young children are prepared to learn and thrive in the school environment. A wide body of research shows a strong foundation in school readiness is indicative of school success. Emerging research also indicates that there is a synergistic effect when early learning activities activate physical and cognitive skills simultaneously, as opposed to doing so in isolation. However, in the state of Kentucky only 50% of children are deemed “school-ready” when they enter Kindergarten. These numbers indicate a need for more activities that support school-readiness by building multiple skill sets simultaneously.
There is also a need for parenting and family education. 96,000 children in Kentucky live in kinship care. Kentucky ranks first in the nation for the most children in kinship care settings in the country. 15,000 children are in kinship care due to removal from their home. Kinship care providers need support.
Families will increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky
Youth and families will improve academic success for children in Kentucky
Youth will be responsible and contributing individuals and family members
Youth and parents will gain and maintain employment through life skill development
Youth and families will contribute to a safe pleasant and productive home and family
Parents will increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
Parents will increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Graves County
Parents will increase number of learning activities experienced at home
Families will increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.
Parents will increase caregiver advocacy for children in their care including legal, medical, social, and educational services
Youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
Youth will project a positive image and self-confidence
Youth will practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
Youth will practice healthy eating choices
Youth will make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
Youth will adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future
Kentuckians will understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
Parents will increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion
Parents will improve child’s gross motor skills
Parents will improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary
Parents will increase awareness of indicators of high-risk adolescent behaviors
Parents will identify key points of adolescent development
Parents will establish realistic expectations for teen behavior, and explore changing relationships within families
Outcome: Kentuckians learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in their child’s healthy development.
Indicator: Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home.
Method: Laugh and Learn Play Dates Survey
Timeline: November - May
Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.
Indicator: How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?
Method: Stories, Songs, and Stretches Survey
Timeline: Summer
Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Graves County.
Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many parents reported improved gross motor skills, social-emotional skills, and early literacy skills?)
Method: Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Results
Timeline: July- June
Outcome: Youth who engage in FCS project work
Indicator: Youth who complete an FCS project
Method: 4-H Common Measures
Timeline: Ongoing project surveys
Audience: Preschool aged children and parents
Project or Activity: Various
Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates
Inputs: FCS Agent, Library
Date: September - May
Audience: Preschool aged children and parents
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches, Laugh & Learn, LEAP
Inputs: FCS Agent, Local Preschool, Library
Date: summer
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Home Environment
Content or Curriculum: Manners in the Real World, Exploring Your Home, Living with Others, Where I Live, In My Home, Home Energy Detective
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners
Date: Ongoing projects
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Fashion, Needlework, and Sewing Group
Content or Curriculum: Style Engineers, Keeping 4-H in Stitches, STEAM Clothing, Upcycle It, Fashion Forward, Fashion Magic
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners
Date: Ongoing projects
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Family Life
Content or Curriculum: Babysitting Basics, Fathers Reading Every Day, Home Alone
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners
Date: Ongoing projects
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Workforce Preparation
Content or Curriculum: World of Work, Promoting Productive Teens, Be the "E" Entreprenuership
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners
Date: Ongoing projects
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Shooting Sports Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Shooting Sports Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners
Date: 2024-2025
Audience: Grades 3-6
Project or Activity: 4-H School Clubs
Content or Curriculum: Various; Leadership; Communications
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers, Community Partners, Schools
Date: 2024-2025
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Gardening classes
Content or Curriculum: Various; community partners
Inputs: ANR Agent, Horticulture club members, community partners
Author: Shana Lueking
Major Program: Super Star Chef
Teaching kids to cook is a skill they will always carry with them. Many kids must make their own food during the summer, and the one-day cooking school was hosted as a summer internship project along with Denise Wooley, the FCS agent, provided kids the opportunity to learn how to cook and most importantly, how to cook in a safe manner. The Super Star Chef One Day Cooking School, Kneads a Little Dough, taught
