Lee County CES

Title:

Local Youth Life Skills Development

MAP:

Life Skills

Agents Involved:

Laken Campbell, Jacob Brandenburg

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

4-H Volunteer Programming

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

4-H College and Career Readiness (8-12 Grade Only)

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

Situation:

Lee County often falls to the bottom of the list of Kentucky counties in terms of household income indicators, employment rates, and educational attainment. According to Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) 35.7% of Lee County Residents were living in poverty compared to 19.1% state wide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2013 reported a 12.6% unemployment rate in Lee County, and the American Community Survey for Education (ACS) reported that 70.9% of residents age 25 and up had a High School Diploma or less. The wellbeing of families and individuals in Lee County is threatened by an unfavorable economic climate, limited resource management skills, and the lack of many basic life skills. The Lee County 4-H and Extension Councils have identified life skills as an area for concern and focus moving forward in the 4-H Youth Development program for our county. Life skills development opportunities are needed including household management, money management, and affective communication skills.

Long-Term Outcomes:

The workforce in Lee County is strengthened through an increased capacity of individuals to complete employment tasks and basic work place skills.
Families are strengthened through an increased capacity to complete household management tasks, including money management tasks.
Improved quality of life for adults and children as adults become more able to complete daily tasks and manage resources.
Increased support for youth both at home and in the community.
Improved economic climate as community members become more financially responsible and are able to contribute to the economy of the area.
Less debt per household as family members understand and practice appropriate money management skills.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Individuals report increased savings as a result of learning and adopting appropriate money management strategies.
Individuals and families adopt one or more resource management strategies which can be observed by having adequate resources throughout the entire month.
Individuals and families implement one or more new life skill activities to help conserve or contribute resources to their families such as gardening, sewing, cooking, meal planning, etc.
Increased number of individuals accessing local resources and engaging in the community.

Initial Outcomes:

Increased knowledge and understanding of appropriate money management strategies and resource management strategies.
Increased participation in life skills workshops (sewing, cooking, gardening, nutrition) resulting in an increased knowledge in respective area.

Evaluation:

Long Term Outcome: Improved quality of life and economic climate for individuals and families in Lee County.
Indicator: Increase in the number of clientele reporting improved financial stability, economic well-being, and decision making.
Method: Pre-post tests, observations, and surveys, self-reporting
Timeline: Ongoing

Intermediate Outcome: Increased practice of basic life skills.
Indicator: Youth and adults will implement at least 1 new life skill or management strategy in their life.
Method: Pre-post tests, survey, self-reporting
Timeline: End of program, yearly

Initial outcome: Increased knowledge and understanding of basic life skills
Indicator: Participation and completion of life skills workshops and programs.
Method: Pre-post tests, surveys
Timeline: Immediately following program

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth Middle and High School

Project or Activity: Middle School Club

Content or Curriculum: Expressive Arts

Inputs:Jacob Brandenburg, Laken Campbell

Date: Fall 2019 Spring 2020

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 

Content or Curriculum: Superstar Chef, Food Preservation for Youth, 4-H and FCS publications/curriculum

Inputs: Volunteers, Extension Staff

Date: Summer 2020/2021

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshops

Content or Curriculum: FCS publications and curriculum

Inputs: Extension Staff

Date: Summer-Fall 2019

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Economics/Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: It’s Your Reality/Dollars and Sense, Money Wise

Inputs: Volunteers, Community Partners (FRYSC), Extension Staff

Date: Spring 2020

Audience: High School youth

Project or Activity:Home economics Club

Content or Curriculum: Family consumer science

Inputs: Laken Campbell, Jacob Brandenburg

Date: Fall 2019- Spring 2020

Success Stories