Investing in Community Leaders
Personal Growth and Leadership Development
Brittany Bowling, Ray Wilson, Vicki R. Boggs
Empowering Community Leaders (general)
4-H Youth Development Programming
Youth Engagement Leadership Program (YELP)
Community Strategic Planning
Building the volume of volunteer leaders and partners within Leslie County is critical for the sustainability and growth of our community. Creating a culture of individuals giving back to their community through leadership roles serves a multi-purpose process of personal growth, community engagement, and helps to ensure a new generation of involved citizens. With increasing dropout rates (42.6%) and escalating poverty concerns (23.9% below poverty level), providing youth and adults these valuable skills and attitudes can break negative generational patterns and prepare them to assume leadership roles both today and tomorrow. Leslie County Extension has 2 Engaged Certified Livestock Volunteers, over 90 KEHA members, 2 Master Clothing Volunteers and various other volunteers who share their expertise, and volunteer time with youth and families in their community. Through the efforts of Extension agents, paraprofessionals, and volunteers local citizens are engaged, educated and empowered to understand family and community issues and take ownership of implementing local solutions.
-Community problems and needs are met through active, engaged local leaders.
- Kentucky communities’ health and economy are strengthened through strong local organizational leadership
-Economics opportunities are increased for residents of Leslie County
-Practice personal leadership skills in clubs, school, and community service/outreach.
-Improved skills in communication, problem solving, or group process in addressing organizational issues and needs.
-Apply skills to assess needs, develop programs, and implement solutions for community problems.
-Participants will develop communication skills that will allow them to effectively communicate with others.
-Participants will learn effective team management and teamwork practices.
-Participants will aspire to create change in their community through their actions, attitudes, and leadership.
-Participants will learn to identify and develop personal and group goals.
-Participants will gain an appreciation for volunteerism and community service.
-Participants will acquire decision-making skills and gain confidence and self-esteem in their own abilities.
-Participants will understand diversity, and the importance of respecting differences among people.
Initial Outcome: Gain leadership and communication skills.
Indicator: Individual(s) acquire knowledge, skills, opinions, and aspirations.
Method: Observation; Written and verbal evaluations; Individual reports
Timeline: July 2017-June 2018
Intermediate Outcome: Leadership and communication skills are put into practice.
Indicator: Individual(s) participate in Extension and community programs and councils.
Method: Observation
Timeline: July 2017-June 2018
Long-term Outcome: Community problems are solved through active, engaged local leaders.
Indicator: New individual(s) assume leadership roles to address community issues.
Method: Observation
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Extension Stakeholders
Project or Activity: Leslie County Extension Council and Program Advisory Council Meetings
Content or Curriculum: State Extension Manual
Inputs: County Extension Council; FCS Council; Extension Homemaker's Council; Ag Development Council; 4-H Council
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Homemaker Lunch-n-Learns
Content or Curriculum: FCS & KEHA Curriculum
Inputs: Quicksand Area FCS agents
Date: September 2017-May 2018
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Community Service Projects
Content or Curriculum: FCS Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Homemakers; FCS agent
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Adults and Homemakers
Project or Activity: Fun With Art
Content or Curriculum: Arts Council
Inputs: Homemaker volunteer; FCS agent
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Youth (Grades 8-12)
Project or Activity: District 2 4-H Teen Leaders
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent; 4-H Program Assistant; Cooperative Extension Agents and UK Specialists; Community and Service Organizations; State Teen Officers
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Youth (Grade:5)
Project or Activity: 4-H Appalachian Heritage Day
Content or Curriculum: County-developed Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent; FCS Agent; ANR Agent; School and Community Volunteer Leaders; Multi-County Agent Teams
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: Youth (Grades 8-12)
Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Conference
Content or Curriculum: Teen Leadership
Inputs: 4-H agent; 4-H Program Assistant; ANR Agent
Date: Summer 2018 ( Annual Event)
Audience: Youth (Middle School Grades)
Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Summit
Content or Curriculum: Teen Leadership
Inputs: 4-H Agent; 4-H Program Assistant; Volunteers
Date: Spring 2018 ( Annual Event)
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Summer Residential Camp
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Summer Camp Program Activities for Personal Development and Leadership
Inputs: 4-H Agent; ANR Agent; FCS Agent; 4-H Program Assistant; Extension Staff; Volunteers; Summer Camp Staff; Camp Manager; UK 4-H Summer Camp Specialist
Date: Summer 2017, 2018 (Annual Event)
Audience: 4-H Teens (grades 9-12)
Project or Activity: Youth Engagement Leadership Program (YELP)
Content or Curriculum: Teen Leadership activities accompanied by Art and Environmental Initiatives
Inputs: 4-H Agent; Community and State Organizations; Associates, Specialists and Area Extension Agents; CEDIK; Promise Zone Partners
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Youth ( 3rd- 12th grades)
Project or Activity: Art and Communication Initiatives: In-School Enrichment Art Clubs; Youth Summer Day Camps; District Day at The Kentucky State Fair
Content or Curriculum: Extension State Specialists; 4-H Arts Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent; ANR Agent; 4-H Program Assistant; Extension Staff and Volunteers
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Community
Project or Activity: Mary Breckinridge Festival
Content or Curriculum: Community Pride; Tourism; Partnerships
Inputs: Chamber of Commerce; Community Volunteers; Extension staff
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: Community Artisans
Project or Activity: Holiday Craft Bazaar
Content or Curriculum: Local Community Arts Promotion
Inputs: Extension staff; Extension volunteers; community members
Date: Winter 2017
Audience: Community
Project or Activity: Pinterest Make-N-Take
Content or Curriculum: Arts Promotion
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Business Leaders
Project or Activity: Chamber of Commerce
Content or Curriculum: Tourism and Leadership Materials
Inputs: Chamber of Commerce; community professionals; Extension staff
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: Youth (Grades 4-12)
Project or Activity: Leslie County 4-H Youth Recognition
Content or Curriculum: Community Development
Inputs: 4-H agent; Leslie County Schools
Date: Spring 2018
Audience: Community
Project or Activity: Community Interest/Involvement Meetings: Trail-Town, Promise Zone,
Appalachian Horse Center, and Unite
Content or Curriculum: Agent attendance and Involvement/Community Driven (PSE)
Inputs: Leslie County Extension Agents; Community; Volunteers
Date: July 2017-June 2018: Ongoing
Audience: Engaged/Interested Extension Volunteers; Extension Agents and Staff
Project or Activity: 2018 Kentucky Extension Volunteer Forum
Content or Curriculum: Celebration and Recognition of Extension Volunteers, Achievements and Accomplishments; Recertification and Professional Development
Inputs: Extension Agents; UK Volunteer Specialist; Extension Volunteer Leaders and Stakeholders
Date: February 2018 ( Bi-Annual Event, even years)
Author: Vicki Boggs
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
~~Appalachian Heritage Program Appalachia refers to a specific ethnic group, the descendants of early settlers in the mountains and their unique American culture. This culture is both real and functioning being revealed through its traditional arts and crafts, music, traditional foods, its customs, heritage and beliefs. Appalachia itself is a mixture of all things Appalachian. The Appalachian culture we witness today is one that has been preserved mostly by families and churches. Missi
Author: Vicki Boggs
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Kentucky 4-H Summit seeks to engage middle school aged youth and retain their involvement in 4-H activities through the middle school years, along with empowering youth to become active 4-H leaders on the local and state levels. Kentucky 4-H Summit centers objectives and goals on the developmental needs of middle school aged youth: 4-H Summit aims to provide youth from across the Commonwealth with the opportunity to develop leadership skills through acquiring new knowledge to tak
Author: Vicki Boggs
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Leslie County Extension, like many extension programs in the state of Kentucky, rely on volunteers to aid in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs. This partnership with volunteers brings necessity of the Volunteer Administration Academy, or VAA, to improve the level of competence of the Extension professional in generating, educating, mobilizing, and sustaining volunteer programs, to expand volunteer involvement on the county level, and to reach underserved audiences through volunteer
Author: Vicki Boggs
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Through the 94th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference, 4-H’ers from across the Commonwealth developed leadership and teamwork skills, improved communication skills, became involved in civic life, expanded knowledge related to a 4-H core content area: communication/citizenship, health, natural resources, agriculture, expressive arts, family consumer sciences, and science, engineering, and technology. The participants fostered a sense of belonging through networking, engaged in youth-adult pa
Author: Vicki Boggs
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
2018 Kentucky Volunteer ForumVolunteers play integral roles in 4-H programs, performing a variety of duties, functions, and tasks and possessing varied and rich knowledge, skills, and backgrounds (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011). The success of Extension programming is due, in part, to the dedication of a large cadre of volunteers (Smith, Dasher, & Klingborg, 2005). Although highly valued, volunteer involvement does not guarantee achievement of Extension's goals and fulfillment of learne