Perry County CES

Title:

Leadership Development

MAP:

Empowering Community Leaders

Agents Involved:

May, Wooten, Gibson

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Empowering Community Leaders (general)

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Local Food System Development and Mapping

Situation:

Building the capacity of volunteer leaders is critical for the sustainability of communities that support and strengthen families. This statement as never been more true than now with the downturn in the economy in eastern Kentucky due to the loss of jobs, particularly in the coal industry. Over the last 5 years, Perry County has seen a 2% decline in population. This is largely due to people having to leave the County to find jobs. It's going to take strong leadership to reverse this trend. 
Extension is committed to engaging, educating, and empowering local citizens to investigate issues by making responsible decisions, and take ownership of solutions. Cooperative Extension offers opportunities for leadership through program councils, County Extension Councils, youth development, agriculture development, and family and consumer science programming. Leadership skills, such as goal-setting, problem-solving and sound decision-making, are not just needed for leaders- these skills are needed for success in today's world. (MacNeil, 2000). Helping youth develop leadership competencies makes them better able to solve community problems and enhances their civic participation. (O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003). Engaged young people help to re-energize adults and counteract negative stereotypes of youth when they are successfully engaged in leadership within their communities (Zeldin, &Camino, 1999; Fiscus, 2003). 

Long-Term Outcomes:

Participants become leaders in the community. 
Youth will become productive, engaged, and informed contributing adults. 
Youth will identify and address critical issues that impact their communities. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

Participants start to internalize leadership skills 
Youth will demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in their everyday lives. 

Initial Outcomes:

Participants attend programs and events to build self-confidence. 
Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics. 
Youth will acquire decision-making skills and gain an appreciation for civic engagement. 

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:Outcome: Youth learn to identify leadership skills and begin to understand their own strengthens 
Indicator: Number of youth participating that succeed in acquiring knowledge of desirable leadership traits 
Method: survey 
Timeline: at the conclusion of workshop or training 

Intermediate Outcome: Youth are challenged to serve as mentors to younger youth 
Indicator: Number of youth to report successful encounters in presenting programs to others, reports from leaders that have observed them 
Method: surveys 
Timeline: at the conclusion of the program 

Long-term Outcome: Youth that serve in community capacities, on councils, in leadership roles 
Indicator: observations, results, number of roles and depth of service 
Method: self-reporting, interactions with community leaders, 
Timeline: year round 

Initial Outcome: New Leadership 
Indicator: Number of participants becoming leaders 
Method: Pre- and Post-test Evaluation 
Timeline: 2016-2020 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Middle School Teens 
Project or Activity: Leadership training in character Ed, team building, working with younger youth 
Content or Curriculum: Character Counts, Talking with TJ, 
Inputs: program materials, school partners, training period, supervision, teens, agent 
Date: Fall 2016 

Audience: Middle and High School aged youth 
Project or Activity: Leadership, Communications development, Teamwork Skills development 
Content or Curriculum: Unlock Your Leadership, Teambuilding, WeConnect, citizenship curricula 
Inputs: facility, presenters, supplies, school partners, Issues Conference, Summit Conference, Teen Conference, camp 
Date: year round


Audience: Homemakers and General public 
Project or Activity: Monthly Homemaker Lessons 
Content or Curriculum: KEHA 
Inputs: agents, specialists 
Date: Monthly 

Audience: Homemakers, General Public, Youth 
Project or Activity: Holiday Showcase 
Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum 
Inputs: Agents, specialists, community partners 
Date: November 2019 


Audience: Homemakers, Youth, General public 
Project or Activity: Come Sew With Us 
Content or Curriculum: Leader designed programs 
Inputs: agents, Master Clothing Volunteers 
Date: Spring 2019 

Audience: Arts Council members 
Project or Activity: Arts Council meetings and events 
Content or Curriculum: Developed by members 
Inputs: agent, community members 
Date: Monthly 

Audience: Agricultural Development, Horticultural and Agricultural Councils 
Project or Activity: Members attend annual meetings and leadership training opportunities. Members will take a leadership role in establishing an Extension Annex Facility. 
Content or Curriculum: Leaders and agent will prioritize programming in Agriculture and develop a plan to promote growth in all sectors of agriculture in Perry County to help grow the local economy. 
Inputs: agents, volunteers, council members 
Dates: all year 

Audience: Persons involved in Agritourism 
Project or Activity: promote and expand Agritourism in Perry County 
Content or Curriculum: work with all involved or interested in Agritourism and provide them assistance in marketing, finances and planning. 
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, Community resources 
Date: Summer months 

Audience: Homemakers 
Project or Activity: Area Homemaker Leader Training 
Content or Curriculum: KEHA 
Inputs: agents, specialists 
Date: August 2019

Success Stories