Extension
It Starts With Us
4-H Family and Consumer Sciences
Life Skills and Diversity
Christy Eastwood, Steve Conrad
4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Over the last 25 years, the number of stay-at-home parents has decreased. Parents have increasingly relied on schools to teach concepts and skills once taught within the family. With societal changes and cuts in school budgets, many schools have eliminated family and consumer science labs and no longer include or have decreased FCS instruction in the curriculum. In nutrition alone, the lack of basic life skills is evidenced by alarming rises in childhood obesity, poor diets of youth of all ages, and an overreliance on packaged/fast food.
Life choices are often based more on personal desires rather than factual information. Those who seek information often turn to internet sources which may not be based in research. Decision-making may be based on product marketing claims, family tradition, myths, faulty information, and lack of knowledge. Today's massive health and economic problems are due in part to the lack of instruction in the home by parents and in school through Family and Consumer Sciences classes.
4-H offers projects in FCS which assist youth in becoming responsible and contributing members of the family and contributing members of Kentucky communities. At the same time, these life skills prepare youth for the families they will establish as adults.
Youth will:
Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
Gain and maintain employment through life skill development.
Contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family.
Utilize skills learned to manage life skills in various settings.
Youth will:
Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations.
Project a positive image and self-confidence.
Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making.
Practice healthy eating choices.
Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results.
Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future.
Youth will:
Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family and Consumer Sciences projects and programs.
Understand the decision-making process.
Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action.
Learn to read and follow instructions.
Prepare a job resume and complete a job application successfully.
Recognize needs and wants and develop a budget.
Initial Outcome: Gain knowledge/skills in personal finances
Indicator: number of youth reporting gain
Method: post evaluation
Timeline: after program
Intermediate Outcome: Utilize sound financial management skills
Indicator: increased number of youth saving and budgeting
Method: survey
Timeline: 6-12 months after program
Long-term Outcome: Utilizing long range financial planning
Indicator: use of retirement accounts and/or financial planners
Method: interviews
Timeline: 5-10 years
Initial Outcome: Youth will identify healthy lifestyle choices.
Indicator: Use proper hand-washing skills in the school setting when needed.
Method: Observation by teachers and para-educators
Timeline: During school day
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will have increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices.
Indicator: At least 50% of students will demonstrate proper hand-washing techniques.
Method: Observation by teachers and para-educators
Timeline: During school day
Long-term Outcome: Increased number of youth maintaining positive health habits.
Indicator: number of days absent from school due to illnesses will decrease by 25%.
Method: written evaluation
Timeline: next school year
Initial Outcome: Students will identify the five food groups in My Plate.
Indicator: At least 25% of the students will be able to identify the five food groups and name at least one food item in each group of my Plate.
Method: Teacher Observation, post evaluation
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Intermediate Outcome: Students will choose healthier snacks over junk food.
Indicator: More fruits and vegetables will be eaten.
Method: written evaluation and teacher observation
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Long-term Outcome: Students will assemble a meal using food models that include the five food groups from my Plate.
Indicator: At least 50% of the students will be able to assemble a meal using food models from my Plate.
Method: Observation during activity
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Initial Outcome: Students will identify new life skills that will allow them to be more successful in and out of the classroom setting.
Indicator: Youth will understand the decision-making process and gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action.
Method: written evaluation
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Intermediate Outcome: Students will demonstrate the social and emotional skills necessary for academic or workplace success.
Indicator: Youth will adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future.
Method: Verbal communication and observation
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Long-term Outcome: Students will demonstrate social and leadership skills essential for academic and workplace success.
Indicator: Youth will be responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
Method: teacher observation, written evaluation
Timeline: At the end of the 6 session series (2019/2020) school year
Audience:5th, 7th & 8th graders
Project or Activity: Reality Stores
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities; community volunteers
Date: One time at eight different schools during school year (2019/2020)
Audience: 8th graders
Project or Activity: Workforce Prep
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities
Date: quarterly with one middle school during 2019-2020 school year
Audience: 5th & 6th graders
Project or Activity: basic economics
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities
Date: 2019-2020 school year--6 visits each for 8 classes
Audience: Preschool thru 4th grade students
Project or Activity: Nutrition education series
Content or Curriculum: My Plate, Professor Popcorn, LEAP curriculum, Glo-germ
Inputs: Local schools, curriculum, Extension agent, students, Extension funding
Date: 2019/2020 School Year (6 contact hours for each group)
Audience: Students with multiple disabilities from Elementary, Middle and High school students
Project or Activity: Explore series (life skills)
Content or Curriculum: My Plate, Professor Popcorn, Glo-germ, self developed curriculum
Inputs: state supported curriculum, Extension agent, students, Extension funding, Extension office
Date: 2019/2020 school year (6 contact hours for each group)
Audience: high school students with multiple disabilities
Project or Activity: basic meal prep with hands-on activities for students with multiple disabilities
Content or Curriculum: Teen Cuisine curriculum, myPlate
Inputs: state supported curriculum, Extension agent, students, Extension funding, Extension kitchen labs
Date: 2019/2020 school year (6 contact hours for each group)
Audience: English Learner Newcomer Academy
Project or Activity: Life Skills Series (nutrition, workforce prep. and finance)
Content or Curriculum: My Plate, Professor Popcorn, Glo-germ, self developed curriculum, state supported curriculum
Inputs: state supported curriculum, Extension staff, students, Extension funding, Extension office, Boone Co. Board of Education
Date: 2019/2020 school year
Author: Christy Eastwood
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Each public school child who receives special education services must have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This legal document is an education plan that addresses the specific needs of each student with multiple disabilities. One aspect of the IEP is community experience/education. A collaboration was formed by the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service with the Walton Verona School District and the Boone County School District to provide classes for the community e
Author: Christy Eastwood
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Students with disabilities who are preparing to graduate from school can benefit from taking life skill courses. Through learning these essential skills, these students can more readily adjust to the circumstances and challenges of adult life. Life skills instruction develops students’ daily living skills. Research has shown that students with disabilities, who exit high school with proficient life skills, have better post-school outcomes than those students who do not (Roessler, Brolin, J
Author: Stephen Conrad
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
More and more people are living beyond their means and incurring debt that will plague them for the rest of their lives. We have not been very successful in teaching our youth the value of money or passing along the concept of "saving for a rainy day". Our school system recognizes this trend but has little or no time to spend on money management due to core content obligations. To help them with this need, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service held a Reality Stores in two midd
Author: Stephen Conrad
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Teachers have communicated a need for help with financial education lessons for 5th grade students. The teachers state they are pushed for time and resources in preparing their students for this portion of the state test. To help with this need, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service offered a series of lessons on money and economics for 100 5th graders. Topics covered were needs vs wants, scarcity, money, opportunity costs and delayed gratification, comparative shoppin
