Skills for a Better LifePlan of Work

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Graves County CES

Title:
Skills for a Better Life
MAP:
Teaching Life Skills
Agents Involved:
4-H Agent, FCS Agent
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
4-H College and Career Readiness (8-12 Grade Only)
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
4-H Youth Development Programming
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Real Skills for Everyday Life
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
4-H Agriculture Core Curriculum AND Natural Resources
Situation:

Young people who participate in programs through 4-H, are less likely to do drugs, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes and are more likely to be civically active than young people who don't participate in its programs, according to a study by researchers at Tufts University (US News and World Report, 2011). 4-H emphasizes the three components of a successful youth program: mentoring, skill building and leadership. These components represent essential skills for ensuring that students attain marketable life skills for success in today’s global society. In short, 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential, through fun and engaging programs. As schools serve to increase a student's general knowledge base, so 4-H serves to provide youth with opportunities to learn and develop self-confidence and self-discipline as well as skills related to goal setting/achievement, empathy, problem solving, time management, record keeping, teamwork and critical thinking. 4-H offers hands-on learning experiences about the world in unique and enlightening ways. Through citizenship programs, communication events, entrepreneurial clubs and career exploration students receive opportunities that are not available in traditional classroom settings.


Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Co-habiting, same-sex, divorced, widowed and single households are the new majority. In 2013, 25 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. Children who live in poverty are more likely to have learning disabilities and developmental delays. Furthermore, children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school than more advantaged children.



Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Co-habiting, same-sex, divorced, widowed and single households are the new majority. In 2013, 25 percent of Kentucky children lived in poverty, ranking Kentucky 40th in the nation. Children who live in poverty are more likely to have learning disabilities and developmental delays. Furthermore, children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school than more advantaged children.



Long-Term Outcomes:

- 4-H alumni will be successful in a global society

- Youth successfully enter the workplace and/or institutions of higher learning

- Youth utilize the skills gained through involvement in 4-H to achieve academic

and career goals.

-Practice parental leadership skills.

-Build personal strengths and self control, interpersonal communication, life

skills including wise decision-making.

-Become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone.


Intermediate Outcomes:

- Youth demonstrate effective decision making processes.

- Youth demonstrate appropriate and effective methods of self-expression.

- Youth learn and develop life skills

- Youth learn steps in goal setting and developing a plan of action.

- Youth write and present speeches and demonstrations and participate in mock

interview and resume writing workshops.

-Reduced stress levels, made time for selves, and/or made wise decisions about

money, time, etc.

- Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships


Initial Outcomes:

- Youth learn decision making skills.

- Youth learn communication skills.

- Youth learn life skills.

- Youth learn steps in goal setting and developing a plan of action.

- Youth construct and give presentation

-Intends to manage stress; make time for self; listen, talk, bond with family

members;read with child daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.

-Intends to participate in volunteer activities


Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Youth learn techniques to write an

introduction, body and conclusion for a speech or

demonstration.

Indicator: Youth turn in completed presentation for classroom grade

Method: Number of students completing assignment

Timeline: Fall or Spring


Intermediate Outcome: Youth learn and practice presentation techniques

demonstrating gestures, eye contact and knowledge of

material without the use of note cards

Indicator: Youth participate in classroom presentation contests

Method: Number of youth able to demonstrate skills taught.

Timeline: Fall or Spring


Long-term Outcome: Youth demonstrate presentation skills with confidence

during public venues (Rotary, City Hall, Fiscal Court)

and County, Area and State Contests

Indicator: Youth volunteer to participate in additional

presentation opportunities.

Method: Number of youth participating beyond the classroom

requirement.

Timeline: Spring


Initial Outcome: Youth learn techniques to write a quality resume and

prepare for an interview

Indicator: Youth turn in resume and copy of interview questions

Method: Number of students that complete assignment

Timeline: Ongoing


Intermediate Outcome: Youth participate in “mock interviews” and job shadowing

experiences with community leaders

Indicator: Youth job shadow individuals in their desired field of

study.

Method: Number of students participating

Timeline: Summer


Long-term Outcome: Youth gain confidence and experience in their area of

interest.

Indicator: Youth share knowledge with peers and junior 4-H’ers

Method: Agent observation and interview

Timeline: Ongoing


Initial Outcome: Youth receive information about governmental principals,

personal roles and civic responsibility

Indicator: Participation in leadership club activities

Method: Agent observation

Timeline: Ongoing


Intermediate Outcome: Youth learn and practice skills to move beyond self-

interest and adopt the attitude and motivation to become

committed to the well-being of a larger group.

Indicator: Youth express ideas and communicate with fellow club

members to create plans of action

Method: Agent observation

Timeline: Ongoing


Long-term Outcome: Youth demonstrate skills learned in citizenship through

community service and civic engagement

Indicator: Youth organize and facilitate projects

Method: Agent observation

Timeline: Ongoing


Initial Outcome: Students use research, oral and written communication,

teamwork and engineering design process skills to

complete requirements for Future City Engineering

Contest (virtual city design, essay, presentation)

Indicator: Students complete virtual city and essay using sound and

logical research

Method: Future City Scoring Rubric

Timeline: Summer – Winter


Intermediate Outcome: Students demonstrate knowledge gained through essay and

organization of presentation for the contest

Indicator: Students complete model design and presentation that

complements the essay and further demonstrates an

understanding of the contest’s theme.

Method: Future City Scoring

Timeline: Summer – Winter


Long-term Outcome: Students demonstrate presentation skills and knowledge

gained during the Regional Contest

Indicator: Students prepare presentation and are able to use eye

contact, gestures and oral communication skills learned

to “sell” their city design.

Method: Agent observation and scoring from FC engineer judges

Timeline: Winter


Initial Outcome:

-Intends to manage stress; make time for self; listen, talk, bond with family

members; read with child daily; teach responsibility in use of money, time, etc.

-Intends to participate in volunteer activities

Indicator:

-Number of individuals (parents or caregivers) reporting improved personal knowledge (such as enhanced knowledge of realistic behavior expectations and positive discipline techniques for children, healthy ways to promote children’s success in schools, and greater understanding of a child’s growth and development)

Method: Participant survey

Timeline: July-June


Intermediate outcome:

-Engaged in community outreach activities

-Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships

Indicator: ?Number of individuals (parents or caregivers) reporting improved personal skills (such as increased discipline and communication skills, effective strategies for helping children manage their behavior and building self-worth and personal power)

Method: Parent interview

Timeline: July-June


Long term Outcome:

-Practice parental leadership skills

-Build personal strengths and self control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.

-Become volunteers to make their community a better place to live for everyone

Indicator:?

-Number of parents and/or caregivers who practice parental leadership skills such as parental empathy, proper ways of establishing family rules, and concrete support their child to develop a sense of positive self-worth

Method: Parent interview

Timeline: July-June

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Graves County Youth

Project or Activity: Citizenship

Content or Curriculum: Citizenship publications

Inputs: Citizenship publications, Capitol tour, City and County

Tours

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Graves County Youth

Project or Activity: Communications Lessons and Forensics teams

Content or Curriculum: Communication Curriculum



Inputs: State and National Publications, Classroom workshops,

Civic Groups, Governmental organizations

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Graves County Youth

Project or Activity: Future City Engineering Contest

Content or Curriculum: National Future City Engineering Curriculum supplemented

with State and National 4-H publications

Inputs: Engineers, City of Mayfield, Club meetings, Engineering

lesson plans

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Graves County Youth

Project or Activity: State Fair

Content or Curriculum: State 4-H curriculum

Inputs: State 4-H curriculum

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Parents, grandparents, children, teens and extended family members

Activity: Nurturing Families

Content: Nurturing Families Curriculum

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Youth, Adults

Activity: Basic Sewing

Content: UK publications

Date: Ongoing

Audience: Youth, Adults

Activity: Basic Crochet

Content: UK publications

Date: Ongoing

Audience: Youth, Adults

Activity: Basic Cooking

Content: UK Publications

Date: Ongoing



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Eating more fruits and vegetables is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention. Despite the importance of eating more produce, it is also one of the most difficult eating behaviors to change. It has been reported that cooking more meals at home is related to increased fruit and vegetable consumption. A social marketing program to promote healthy, home-cooked family meals, Cook Together, Eat Together, was offered virtually by the Graves County Cooperative Extension

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Major Program: Food Preparation

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The Graves County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the Mayfield Middle and Mayfield Highs school's 21st Century Programs to teach "Basics in the Kitchen" from the fall to spring of the school year. Culinary classes occurred weekly at the high school and every other week at the middle school. The emphasis in teaching was on  measuring correctly, using a knife,  food safety, my Plate, microwave cooking skills and other hands-on cooking skills utilizing low cost

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