Green County CES

Title:

Developing Youth Into Productive and Contributing Citizens

MAP:

Youth Development

Agents Involved:

Tyrone Gentry

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Science, Engineering, and Technology

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Leadership

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Civic Engagement

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Health

Situation:

Preparing youth with diverse skills enhances their academic offerings and creates youth who are better prepared to be leaders, entrepreneurs, and contributors to a better community.  According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 2017 STEM Jobs Update, Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers help drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas and new companies.  Employers look for leadership skills in future employees.  Developing leadership in the youth and adults who are involved in the 4-H program is a priority.  With these pressures upon the youth, many youths struggle with obesity, addiction, and self-esteem. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at a record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in the nation). By working closely with schools and communities, Kentucky 4-H Programs can provide experiential, real-world opportunities for 4-H Members, participants, and families to explore and pursue their future options while building their self-esteem and personal confidence.  

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Youth will increase STEM literacy in the general population.
• Communities are equipped with competent, effective leaders. 
• Successful completion of secondary programs, entry into careers of choice, and acceptance into college programs.  
• Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H programs.
• Increased number of youth maintaining positive health habits.

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Youth will and use new methods or improved technology.
• Youth will volunteer and participate in community service and civic engagement opportunities.  
• Youth will make high school planning decisions based upon lifestyle choices and their understanding of cost of living and lifestyle choices.  
• Youth will increase adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that includes making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior, and handling stress.

Initial Outcomes:

• Youth will develop valuable life-skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communications, and leadership.
• Youth increase knowledge of effective leadership skills.
• Youth will be participants in College and Career Educational Programs.
• Youth will have an improved awareness of health concerns for youth.

Evaluation:

• Initial Outcome: Youth plan and implement a Science, Engineering and Technology project (e.g., Aerospace, Electricity, Robotic etc.)
  Indicator: Number of youth who indicated they are interested in learning more about science, engineering, or technology projects? (KOSA)
  Method: 4-H Common Core Survey
  Timeline:   September and June
  
  
• Intermediate Outcome: Youth become more engaged as a leader in their community (planning a service project, serving as a mentor, increasing participation in local/state/national levels).
  Indicator: Youth serve in a volunteer, leadership role.
  Method: 4-H Common Core Survey
  Timeline: April, May
  
  
• Initial Outcome: Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H programs.
  Indicator: Youth will have an increased number of positive assets.
  Method: Survey using Search Institute Asset Approach
  Timeline: November and March
  
  
• Initial Outcome: Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as a result of what they learned through 4-H programming.
  Indicator: Youth will make healthy lifestyle choices.
  Method: 4-H Common Core Survey
  Timeline: September and May
  
  
• Initial Outcome:
  Indicator:
  Method:
  Timeline:

Learning Opportunities:

• Audience: Youth in grades Pre-School and Third Grade
  Project or Activity: Ag Safety Day
  Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventure, KY Farm 2 School, Home Alone, First Aid in Action, SPARK
  Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Community Leaders, Schools
  Date: September
  
  
• Audience: 4th-8th grades
  Project or Activity: Project Days
  Content or Curriculum: Computer Science, Energy, Robotics,
  Inputs: Agent, Schools, Parks, project materials
  Date: August, September, March, May
  
  
• Audience: 7th Graders
  Project or Activity: Financial Management and Career Planning
  Content or Curriculum: Reality Check, World of Work
  Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Schools, Businesses, Community Leaders, Banks
  Date: February
  
  
• Audience: Youth 4th-12th grades
  Project or Activity: Ham Project
  Content or Curriculum: Livestock Curriculum
  Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Farms, Local Businesses
  Date: January, February, May, August
  
  
• Audience: Youth 4th-12th grades
  Project or Activity: Global Education
  Content or Curriculum: Empowering Students to Improve the World in Sixty Lessons (Version 1), 4-H Backpack to Adventure: Youth Leaders in a Global World, WeConnect: A Global Youth Citizenship Curriculum
  Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Local Businesses
  Date: October, November, January, February
  
  
• 
  

Success Stories

4-H Evolves in Distancing Programs During Times of Change

Author: Tyrone Gentry

Major Program: Natural Resources

MC Hammer said a long time ago, “you can't touch this.”  Was he thinking of how programs are delivered today?  With the pandemic, 4-H strives to provide activities for youth to still “touch” and gain the proven benefits of experiential learning.  For spring through mid-summer, 4-H moved project-based activities online with supplies readily available at home.  An online calendar was created to coordinate the 4-H virtual activities locally and across

Full Story

Forestry Club Focuses on Community's Natural Resources

Author: Tyrone Gentry

Major Program: Natural Resources

Green County has an abundance of natural resources.  The Green River garners her name from the county and is home to six endangered or threatened species.  One particular resource our youth are most proud is we are home to Wyatt Jeffries Woods which is believed to be the last old-growth forest located in this part of the state.  Our natural resource club decided to focus on the coming year and reorganize as the Green County 4-H Forestry Club to celebrate our community's herita

Full Story

Summer Camp Evolves To Reach Youth

Author: Tyrone Gentry

Major Program: Camping

Extension programs required a major paradigm shift in the 2021 program year to reach the needs of our youngest clientele.  The health guidelines ran the gamut of almost complete isolation in the early days to various levels of social distancing and mask-wearing requirements near the end.  As health is a major curriculum focus of 4-H youth programs and the fear of putting our youth in potentially dangerous situations, 4-H modified our long-held camping protocols to allow successful over

Full Story

Communities Are Equipped with Competent, Effective Leaders

Author: Tyrone Gentry

Major Program: Volunteer Development

Over the last program year, 4-H volunteers were asked to change how they provided experiential, hands-on educational activities to the youth of our community. These protocols were often changing at a pace that was dizzyingly rapid as new information was brought to the forefront of the pandemic.  Green County 4-H recognized the importance of keeping volunteers engaged with contemporary skills to be effective leaders in educational youth projects.  For the program year 2021, Green County

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Garden Club Grows Healthier Nutrition Habits

Author: Tyrone Gentry

Major Program: Agriculture

With the pandemic having people at home more than ever, there was a greater interest in learning gardening skills by our families.  The Cooperative Extension Service noticed an increase in questions related to different garden types, best management practices and preservation techniques of personally raised vegetables.  Green County 4-H applied for a Kentucky 4-H Foundation grant to establish a garden club for our youth and families.  The $620 grant would be used to purchase seeds

Full Story