Mercer County CES

Title:

Focus on Youth Health, Wellness, and Safety

MAP:

Strengthening Families

Agents Involved:

Dana Anderson, Luci Hockersmith, Jessica Bessin, Linda McClanahan

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Food Preparation

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

4-H Communications and Expressive Arts Core Curriculum

Situation:

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

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
• Increased number of youth maintaining positive health habits
• Increased number of youth at a lower risk for serious disease and illness
• Increased number of youth at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress
• Develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H Health programs

Intermediate Outcomes:

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 employ-ability in the future
• Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.

Initial Outcomes:

Youth will:
•Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & 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
• Youth will identify healthy lifestyle choices
• Youth will understand risky behaviors and their consequences
• Youth will aspire to have higher self-esteem
• Youth will identify healthy ways to handle stress

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Youth report they set a goal and accomplish it
Indicator: Involvement in 4-H projects and entries in county fair
Method: Registration for fair and participant/parent testimonials
Timeline: all-year

Intermediate Outcome: Youth demonstrate increased or routine use of life skills learned through 4-H in daily life
Indicator: Number of people indicating change in behavior
Method: Self reported changes and parent and teacher evaluation/testimonials
Timeline: all-year

Long-term Outcome: Contribute to a safe, pleasant, and productive home and family
Indicator: Number of youth/adults who reported that they followed safe practices
Method: Follow up electronic evaluation with teachers, participants and parents
Timeline: on-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Farm Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: Farm & Home Safety
Inputs: Extension Staff; Farm Bureau; Fire Department; Police Department
Date: September

Audience: Youth (girls)
Project of Activity: 4th/5th grade Girl Talk
Content or Curriculum: For girls only presentation
Inputs: FCS agent; FRYSCs; Burgin and Mercer Schools
Date: August

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Health Rocks School Club Lessons
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health Rocks
Inputs: Extension Staff, Mercer County Schools, Burgin Independent Schools
Date: ongoing

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: School 4-H Club Lessons
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health & Family Consumer Sciences Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, Mercer County Schools, Burgin Independent Schools
Date: ongoing

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Foods Club
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Food Nutrition Curriculum, SNAP Ed resources
Inputs: Extension Agents, SNAP Educator, 4-H Volunteers
Date: monthly meetings

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Shooting Sports
Content or Curriculum: KY 4-H Shooting Sports
Inputs: Certified 4-H shooting sports volunteers
Date: monthly practice sessions

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Truth or Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Truth or Consequences
Inputs: Extension Staff; community professionals; volunteers; schools
Date: February

Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Healthy Kids Day
Content or Curriculum: Varied
Inputs: YMCA; FRYSC; Extension Staff; Mercer Co Health Department; Ephraim McDowell Wellness Center; HOSA; Zumba Instructors; Mercer County Sheriff's Office
Date: September

Audience: At-risk Youth
Activity: Personal development for at-risk students
Content or Curriculum: Tackling the Tough Skills
Inputs: FCS Agent, Mercer Day Treatment
Date: 12 sessions (TBD)

Activity: Media (news articles, newsletters, social media - Facebook)
Content or Curriculum: Exclusives, 4-H Agent News Releases, publications, HEEL materials, etc.
Inputs: Extension Staff, University of Kentucky Ag Communications
Date: Year-long (on-going)

Success Stories